Artist Statement: This piano is not just an instrument—it's energy, it's spirit, it's a living vibration. I create from a place of soul, where art becomes a bridge to something higher inside of us. For this Sing for Hope Piano, I approached it as a portal—where color, rhythm, and intention come together to uplift anyone who touches it or even walks past it. Music already has the power to move people. My role is to amplify that power visually—to wrap the piano in light, story, and frequency so it speaks before a single note is played. This piece represents unity, elevation, and creative freedom. It's for everybody—for the trained musician, the curious passerby, the child, the elder. No barriers, just expression. When you encounter this piano, I want you to feel something real. Joy. Possibility. Alignment. Because the truth is—we are all instruments. And when we're in tune with ourselves, we create something beautiful for the world.
Paul Deo is a visionary multimedia artist, muralist, and educator whose work fuses sacred mixed media collage with art-and-technology experiences. A 2023 New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Digital Arts Fellow, Deo is a Harvard University Arts Artist-in-Residence and Visiting Professor who created the first digital mural on Harvard's campus. He was personally commissioned by Spike Lee to paint a mural for the 30th anniversary of Do the Right Thing, and his Kobe Bryant portrait inspired Lee's Kobe Doin' Work and is now in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures collection. A survivor of Hurricane Katrina, Deo evacuated New Orleans with his two sons and returned to Harlem New York City, the city he loves and serves through art. He currently teaches at Harlem Renaissance High School, guiding young people through visual storytelling, self-actualization, and creative technology. Deo is the founder of Starseed World, bringing AI, AR, and creative tech education to underserved communities. Widely recognized as a leading cultural storyteller of Harlem, Deo's landmark Planet Harlem mural has become an internationally celebrated destination—an evolving "cosmic archive" of Harlem legacy and future vision.
