Homelands

Homelands: news & artist interview

"District 5 artist Angelo Cortez’s  newest mural, “Homelands,” debuted Aug. 1 in Downtown Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row Art District. His installation is as part of the yearlong “Uncontained” mural project series. The mural reflects his lineage and connection to ancestral people throughout Arizona and Mexico. 

Cortez illustrated his O’otham and Mexica ancestry by depicting night and day on each respective portion. The left presents a daytime O’otham desert landscape adorned with water symbols and a Man in The Maze. To the right is a nighttime portrayal of Central Mexico featuring a pyramid and the serpent deity “Quetzalcoatl” in the center alongside the Man in the Maze. 

“I feel really blessed, relieved, and thankful,” Cortez said. “It’s such an accomplishment for me to have my mural here in Downtown Phoenix, and I’m very happy with the outcome.” 

He began with an initial outline of the idea, and drawing from his skill sets, he incorporated new designs and motifs. Initially, Cortez didn’t have a title for the mural, but as he progressed found “Homelands” to be the most fitting.