PALO ALTO, CA.- The Palo Alto Public Art Program announced the installation of a dynamic new sculpture by San Jose-native Latinx artist Rayos Magos at City Hall King Plaza at 250 Hamilton Ave in Palo Alto. The temporary installation concludes the artist’s year-long residency as part of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & Coretta Scott King Artist Residency Program, established as a platform for ongoing conversations about equity, inclusion, and belonging in Palo Alto through social practice public art projects. A free public event with the artist will take place Feb. 24 at 4 p.m., and the sculpture will remain on display until next fall.

For his residency project, titled Rituals of Resilience, Rayos Magos initiated community conversations about culture, identity, belonging, and resilience in Palo Alto, with the special focus on Latinx and BIPOC community members and mental health service providers. In 2022, the artist engaged the larger Palo Alto community in a series of conversations and art-making workshops that empowered community members to share their stories about belonging, human connection, and the impacts of social distancing on their mental health during the pandemic. The installed artwork is a result of the artist’s documentation and reflections on personal stories shared by project participants.

The seven-foot-tall yellow totem-like sculpture with a bi-lingual title Te Veo, Te Escucho, Te Honro (I See You, I Hear You, I Honor You) is made of water jet cut aluminum, and features intricate imagery in papel picado style that symbolizes various aspects of the shared stories and reflections. The sculpture’s Eye, which represents witnessing all and focusing on what is essential, simply states, “I See You.” The Heart fueled by passion and animating all of life affirms, “I Feel You, I Love You, I Connect With You.” The Hands, which hold not only the grief and woes, but also the memories, the care, and the compassion of the community, proclaim, “I Hold You, I Cherish You, and I Offer You All That I Can Give.” The installation also includes a series of 15 circular decals radiating from the sculpture, featuring quotes in Spanish and English sourced from community member interviews.

“We are thrilled to feature this uplifting artwork in the heart of downtown and are so thankful to Rayos Magos for his incredible work as the first King Artist-in-Residence,” said Palo Alto Public Art Program Director Elise DeMarzo. “As an artist whose practice is rooted in empathetic collaboration, his impact was amplified by his experience as a mental health professional. During several months of his artist residency Rayos was able to reach diverse communities residing or working in Palo Alto, build strong partnerships with local non-profit mental health providers, and engage participants in candid conversations about belonging.”

A mixed media artist whose work ranges from printmaking, drawing, painting, and collaging, Rayos Magos is a third generation Chicano, born and raised in San Jose, CA. His dynamic and colorful work often incorporates symbols, patterns, repetition, and textures to convey messages and narratives of hope, compassion, and joy. Magos’ works have been shown nationally and internationally.