Saya Woolfalk

Visionary Reality Threshold (formerly What's Happening Downtown)

Alright, I still can't stop talking about BLINK! There has been artwork that made me want to do crazy things and there's artwork that makes made me want to dream of beautiful and better things in my life. This one just made me want to be and be comfortable in my own skin. This is hands down, my favorite mural! Even long before this mural was official unveiled, I would just look at it, smile, and it made me let go of any concerns that I had for the day.


Visionary Reality Threshold by Brooklyn based artist Saya Woolfalk, in collaboration with Brave Berlin, was officially unveiled Saturday afternoon at BLINK. Born to a Japanese mother and a mixed race African American and Caucasian father in Gifu, Japan (one of Cincinnati's ten sister cities), she is known for portraying feminism, science fiction, and fantasy to reimagine the world in her work. Afrofuturism originated in 1993 by Mark Dery and explored in the late 1990s through conversations lead by American writer and professor Alondra Nelson. Sun Ra was an American jazz composer and bandleader who would feature performers in futuristic costumes inspired by ancient Egypt attire and the Space Age. Afrofuturism slowly grew in popularity with the introduction of The Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War in 2016 and then his stand alone film in 2018.

Previously, What's Happening Downtown mural was featured in this very spot.

Saturday afternoon really brought this mural to life. After the unveiling, a dance performance followed, and all we can do is just let it be.

Saya and Artworks apprentices