Client: CityCentre

Overview

Beckoning viewers in to this newest CityCentre Lobby in Houston, TX, Jasmine Zelaya’s, “Double”, explores themes of identity, assimilation, and the brown body through portraiture.

As a multi-disciplinary, first-generation Honduran-American artist, her work often calls upon the visual language of the early 1970s — the years when her family immigrated to the United States.

Jasmine’s mural transforms the space with mesmerizing vibrancy and, as the artist states, captures her subjects “caught somewhere between rapture and unrest”. Lush floral forms bloom into representations of familial narratives that starkly contrast both the natural and artificial world. Immersed in relatable patterns, the viewer is drawn in by the compelling portraiture and palette, moving ever closer, into an unexpected intimacy which asks them to consider their own bodies and experiences.

Goals

The goals of this semi-annual rotating program are twofold: First, to expose the audiences of this popular Houston destination who are not necessarily frequent museum visitors to the riches of regional Texas artists and, second, to further the ongoing significant support of our client to the advancement of the arts in Houston.

In furtherance of these goals, curatorial decisions are made to maximize the experience of and to enlighten the audiences experiencing these dynamic projects.

Process

Curated and managed by Weingarten Art Group, local and regional artists are invited to share both new concepts and existing work to animate the four large-scale lobby areas of this popular Houston destination.

Each artist submits proposals after experiencing the site and selections are made with the aim of providing textured and varied holistic art experiences over the course of each year. In this particular case, Jasmine proposed imagery from her practice that would specifically animate the largest wall on site available for these types of installations.