Mandala

Mandala by artist Delia King was created as part of the PECO No Place for Hate initiative at the former Bok Technical High School in South Philadelphia. This interior mural depicts a celebration of our differences while also showing our similarities through pattern. The basic pattern changes as it goes through a silhouette, because although we are made of the same stuff, we are each unique. King drew inspiration for her acknowledgment of life at Bok and from its Art Deco architecture and proposed to make a mandala. The two-dimensional design figures prominently in sacred art within Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions and aims to endow viewers with a sense of peace. With student input, King took three months to finalize its components, including silhouettes of the assisting pupils. The final mural includes dozens, if not hundreds, of colors, emphasizing how the diverse elements of pattern exemplify the numerous aspects of being human as a way to promote compassion.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (school closed and building repurposed).