"The Guardians, is a large-scale, site-specific mural inspired by time spent in community spaces as a youth. The community center has always functioned as a sanctuary for me - a safe space to connect with family, neighbors, and friends.  In recent months, the need for such spaces has become all the more clear. I designed this mural in direct response to the chaos that 2020 has brought forth. The central concept is a set of guardians put in place to oversee and protect a community sanctuary.

The main focus of this work is two female figures that bookend the space acting as both beginning and end. They oversee a pastoral park scene that includes several elements of the local environment including native birds and plant species. Throughout the piece, I've also placed elements of mythological fantasy. By blending elements of reality and fantasy, I intend to give the entire work a feeling of a surreal oasis.

The Guardians wraps the ceiling of the community events center at Magic Johnson Park. I was commissioned in early 2020 by the County of Los Angeles to create a mural that responds to this space at this moment. The work is part of their comprehensive and community-driven revitalization of the Willow Brooke neighborhood of South LA."

—Carla Jay Harris 

Images by Irina Logra.