Artist Statement: "We Are Hope" is a vibrant piano filled with color and layered textures—stripes, dots, and zigzags—that echo the energy of New York City. The portraits represent people of all ages and backgrounds, capturing the beauty of the city's diversity. This piece is an ode to New York and its people, and a powerful reminder that, even during this uncertain times, together we are hope.
Vanesa Álvarez is a muralist and visual artist from the north of Spain based in New York City. With +20 years of experience, Vanesa has been selected in international competitions and created murals with social and feminist themes in Spain, Mexico, and the United States. Also, she has been an Artist in Residence through Project Art USA, Teaching Artist for LEAP NYC's Public Art Program and works frequently as a lead artist with Thrive Collective painting murals in public schools. In 2021 she was one of the artists selected by the NYC Health+Hospitals Arts in Medicine Program, and painted a community based mural in Morrisania Hospital, Bronx. Same year she created with Artbridge/ Bridging the Divide Project, the piece "Generations" in Woodside, Queens. Álvarez participated in the 2022 The Flag Project at Rockefeller Center and The six foot platform (Dumbo). She painted the 2023 Union Square Street mural, "Union with the universe" with USP and DOT. During the last three years, Álvarez was one of the Su-casa program Brooklyn Arts Council Artist in Residence, and in 2024 she received a BAC grant for the mural "Growing Together". In collaboration with Bowery Poetry Club, she has been awarded with a NYSCA Grant to painting en 2025 the piece "We are poetry" Besides her public art, Vanesa is developing her studio practice, being in 2023 one of the Kunstraum's AIR, 2025 Artist In residence at The Whale building and now having her studio at Morgan Fine Arts Building in Brooklyn.
