Texas Governor's Mansion ARTBOX
Painted by W3R3ON3
W3R3ON3, AKA Gelson D. Lemus is a Guatemalan-born resident of Houston, TX who began creating art work at a young age. His art journey really took off in the late 90’s when he was introduced to graffiti culture which has shaped his path from a graffiti artist to what he has now become, a self-taught “muralista” (muralist).
Throughout the years, W3R3ON3 has developed techniques that have helped him create his unique style of painting that has placed him as a professional muralist among the best in his category.
W3R3ON3’s ARTBOX outside of the Texas Governor’s Mansion off of 11th Street focuses on the theme of water as a scarce and valuable resource.
““The repetitious symbolism in my work serves as the framework for embedding pieces of myself into each project. I mirror myself in my pieces through two characters, reflecting the wisdom gained from life experiences and constantly striving for better. This symbolism helps to remind me that the lessons I have learned in life require more than understanding, they need application. In this piece, I made the water gold to represent how valuable this resource is as it is the elixir that allows life to endure. Just as one protects their wealth, we have to protect the Earth's liquid gold that is essential to all living beings’ survival.””
— W3R3ON3, ARTBOX Artist
Want to visit and see this ARTBOX for yourself? Check out our getting around page to plan your trip. This ARTBOX is located right off of 11th street on your way to the Texas Governor’s Mansion. This ARTBOX was curated by the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation.
Learn more on how to sponsor your own ARTBOX and about the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation’s Writing on the Walls program.
