This is Blade’s flower, wearing shades, his iconic 5-panel hat, and a “idgaf” attitude. The flower is in the middle of creating a world around it, bringing in more colors. From Queens (Far Rockaway) to Lynbrook to Farmingdale, he has shaped his world as he sees fit. The blue and orange represent Queens, home of the Mets. The red, white, and blue symbolize Lynbrook, the midpoint—home to BladeRunna Hair Lab. And the blue reflects Farmingdale, a safe space where he’s built his home. I chose blue to represent that because he loves to play video games, and blue is usually your home base.

Above the flower are the sun and the moon. I reimagined the angel and the devil, not so much as good vs. evil but as a balance of the daily struggle. The flower faces the sun (devil), confronting fears, while the moon (angel) remains behind, always watching his back. This is where the mural reflects me as an artist. I can’t speak for Blade, but I know as an artist and a small business owner, I struggle to balance life, work, relationships and finance. Everyday I think about how I can make money off of my craft while balancing everything else. It’s nonstop, but stories like Blade’s make my dreams that much more real. So, thank you, Primo, for helping me to express this to your community. Thank you for encouraging me and for giving me the confidence I need to continue on my journey.

-hb