A new and colorful mural can be seen from a distance highlighting an emblematic stairway near the city’s Casa de la Cultura in the Altamira neighborhood.
The mural was created by Tijuana artists Mode Orozco, Kat.ce, Mara and Avocaro. Orozco said they wanted to add a “very Mexican touch” to a widely known place for the community.
“We are saving a very important space,” said Kathya Cerpa, known as Kat.ce, who has lived in the neighborhood for 27 years. “I think it’s something very Tijuanense that maybe we had neglected, and it’s very cool that we can restore it and bring it back to life,” she added.
The stairs — built decades ago — are located on the Javier Bátiz Ramp and have become part of the daily commute of thousands of people, including students.
Mara Madrigal with Kathya Cerpa painting at the Altamira staircase.
(Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Artists Mara Madrigal and Kathya Cerpa pose at the Altamira staircase.
(Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The stairs are now sporting the image of catrinas, elegant skeleton figures inspired by the artwork of José Guadalupe Posada and mostly associated with the Day of the Dead, and colorful steps inspired by Huichol art.
The project began after a proposal by Tijuana’s Municipal Institute of Citizen Participation. Orozco said what caught his attention most was the site.
Orozco is known for his murals of Mexican UFC fighters such as Brandon Moreno and Alexa Grasso, as well as a mural to honor late singer Vicente Fernández, among others in Tijuana and San Diego.
The mural can be seen from several streets away in Zona Centro.
(Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
He’s used to the public reacting positively to his murals, but he was more surprised by this one. People have lined up to take photos since they started painting in December.
“This is something more cultural, more mexa, more of our roots, and I wasn’t expecting such a response,” he added.
There was no need to interrupt the passageway for the mural. The group found a way to share the space with pedestrians, painting one side of a stair while people walked on the other, they said.
Orozco said city officials have reached out to them to ask if they need anything else. He said that for now they have requested maintenance and lighting in the area around the mural.
As Orozco talked about the experience at the site, a neighbor drove up wanting to thank the artists and ask more about it.
“It gives me great pleasure to see what they are doing,” said Imelda Ramírez, a longtime resident of the area. “It’s a very beautiful piece of work.”
Muralist Mode Orozco is known for several works around Tijuana and San Diego.
(Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
