SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- New murals are going up in Downtown San Diego's Gaslamp District. All of the artwork is being created by female muralists, hand-selected by a local non-profit organization, advocating for women creators.
Next time you stroll through the Gaslamp, take a look up. On the backside of Hotel Z, there are four new giant art pieces- all creations by local female muralists.
"We're just trying to empower female voices and give them a platform to really showcase what they are capable of," Phoebe Cornog, co-founder of non-profit Ladies Who Paint, said.
Thanks to the collaboration between Ladies Who Paint and the Downtown San Diego Partnership, ten local muralists were chosen from 700 applicants worldwide to beautify Downtown.
"We are so excited for any opportunity to bring moments for additional color and joy and whimsy to our Downtown," Sarah Brothers, Vice President of Marketing at the Downtown San Diego Partnership, said.
Esther Enchi Wang is a UCSD grad -turned- tattoo artist- turned muralist. Her piece on the corner of the building features women and mythical creatures.
"It just feels really cool to have the freedom to put a face that looks more like mine in terms of racial identity and gender on a super big wall so people can see it," Wang said.
The artists said that it is so refreshing to have 100% creative freedom for artwork.
"I think that it comes with a great responsibility, especially me being a Vietnamese-Asian American muralist in the city," muralist Thao Hyunh French said. "I'm not represented because it is male-dominated. So this was a great opportunity for me to show what I'm made of."
French's piece is a bouquet of flowers, an homage to her mother, who painted flowers on her nails as a child.
"This is just about adding a little beauty and paying respect to my family," French said.
After the creations are complete by next week, an anti-Graffiti coating will be applied to preserve the artwork for years to come.
