Three renowned graffiti artists officially unveiled their mural to the Bronx community on April 16, using a work of art to keep the memory alive of those tragically lost in January’s Twin Parks North West apartment fire.
The weekend event was hosted and commissioned by Laundry Capital Co. LLC, as a memorial to remember the victims of the Twin Parks fire in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx. The work by the Bronx-based Tats Cru adorns the side of the building of the Clean Rite Center, located at 1348 Southern Blvd.
Included at the event were food provided by The Hip Hop Food Truck and $20 laundry cards that were provided to Twin Parks residents displaced by the fire.
The Jan. 9 Twin Parks fire killed 17, including eight children, as a result of a space heater malfunctioning, according to fire officials. The tragedy marked the worst fire in NYC in more than 30 years and subsequently led to the filing of four separate lawsuits, including a $3 billion class action lawsuit.
The goal of the mural was a means of remembrance for the community, according to the artists.
“This mural will create awareness for the victims of the fire and add color to the neighborhood,” said Tats Cru artist Hector “Nicer” Nazario.
With ties to the NYC hip-hop community, Tats Cru, made up of a group of artists including Nazario, Wilfredo “Bio” Feliciano and Sotero “BG183” Oritz, have painted murals throughout New York City since the 1980s — including paying homage to the late South Bronx rap icon Big Pun. “But it’s not very often that we do murals like this on laundromats,” Nazario added.
Laundry Capital owner Alex Weiss felt it was important to recognize those members of the community who tragically perished. “We want to honor the lives that were lost in that terrible tragedy by ensuring their memory will live on forever as a permanent staple of the Bronx community,” Weiss said.
The list of victims’ names included in the mural are: Sera Janneh, Seydou Toureh, Haowa Mahamadou, Issatou Jabbie, Haji Jawara, Haja Dukureh, Haji Dukureh, Mustapha Dukureh, Mariam Dukureh, Fatoumata Dukureh, Fatoumata Drammeh, Fatoumala Drammeh, Nyumaaisha Drammeh and Ousmane Konteh.
Reach Christian Falcone at cfalcone@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-2541. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
