The Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies is proud to announce the inauguration of the first graffiti mural on the OSU campus titled Formación. This title speaks of the constant state of becoming and formation that is at the core of non-oppressive and anti-colonial thinking. Formación thus celebrates ambivalent, in-between and continually evolving states of being.
 
The work is located at the entrance of our offices in 286 University Hall. This collaborative mural project “Graffiti School Comunidad Ohio” was lead by Chilean graffiti artist Marjorie "Gigi" Peñailillo and was completed with the assistance of Guisela Latorre, Lynaya Elliott, Tess Pugsley, and Jackie Stotlar. The images were completed mostly through the use of spray paint.
 
Our aspiration for this project was to signal to visitors that they are entering a decolonial feminist space and to celebrate graffiti as an honored art form and legitimate public intervention rather than a criminalized act of vandalism. We incorporated iconography such as a gender non-specific being, indigenous cultural elements of Ohio’s history and geography (the flowers and bird) and connections to knowledge creation, textured experiences, and feminist education as allegorized by the central figure whose mind is visibly open to multiple and complex possibilities.
 
You can view more of Gigi’s work on Flickr and Facebook.  
 
The artistic collective that created this graffiti mural firmly believe that works of art take on new and unexpected meanings beyond the intentions of their creators through the critical interventions and interpretations of spectators and witnesses. We thus encourage everyone to visit the department and view this vibrant and exciting piece of feminist art. We look forward to hearing how this public work of art engages with you and welcome your thoughts.