Plumage
Oct. 19–Nov. 10, 2020

Felipe Ortiz’s paintings and murals are a unique fusion of artistic themes, from urban scenery and nature to abstracted geometry.

Born in Colombia, Ortiz immigrated with his family to the U.S. when he was 14. His mural at Northeastern features seasonal migratory birds, whose journey south to north and back again resembles his own. The mural is part of a style called “Explosive Nature” that he’s been developing for six years and represents his Latin American roots.

The mural, located on the side of the Stearns Center facing Huntington Avenue, features a technique called “wet on wet” painting, in which Ortiz mixes colors on the wall itself while the paint is still wet, rather than mixing them beforehand. The range of colors used in the mural was created from red, blue, yellow, and teal base paints.

Ortiz collaborated with the College of Arts, Media and Design’s makerspace, whose staff laser-cut butterfly stencils that help tie his mural visually into an adjacent piece by French graffiti artist Jef Aérosol.