About the Project 

Boat People finds space between immigration, displacement, and colonization to honor those who have migrated to Philadelphia, whether voluntarily or not.

The painting shows a boat crowded with people and a central figure wearing a ceremonial white mask. His body contains a boat floating above a sea of red, symbolizing the blood shed from the difficult journey between one’s homeland and adopted home

This bright, geometric mural is a testament of human’s ability to persevere and adapt, and celebrates the diversity and culture brought to Philadelphia by immigrants and refugees.

Claes Gabriel is a Philadelphia-based artist from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He immigrated to the United States in 1989 where he later earned a Bachelor of Fine Art in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art.