Arthur Avenue Jesus by Shannon Kelsh

Shannon Kelsh

 Arthur Avenue Jesus

On Arthur Avenue, down an alley just a few blocks from Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus, a colorful graffiti mural of Jesus resides on the side of a building. This mural is located within a historically immigrant community, made up largely of Italian and Albanian immigrants, both of which tend to be very religious. Though the neighborhood is increasingly African American and Puerto Rican, there are still visible signs - such as this mural and the shops and restaurants nearby - that its longer-established residents’ Mediterranean cultures are still alive and thriving.

The mural in question has two parts to it. To the left, Jesus stands with a halo behind his head and his right hand is making a peace sign. A flaming heart is placed prominently on his chest. On the right, there is a large Albanian flag with the likeness of a man painted inside it. There is writing in both English and Albanian above the man that mourns his death. The man depicted does not appear to be very old so one can assume that he was probably middle aged when he died, though it is hard to know for certain as the artist may have wanted to portray him in his prime instead of his old age. A cross bridges the gap between the two halves. The style of the mural is rather cartoon-like, and though it is not at all poorly done, it can easily be seen that whoever painted it was not a professional.

This particular mural is dedicated “in loving memory of Anton D. Nikci,” who, from the text to the left of the depiction of Nikci and the prominent flag behind him, can be deduced to be of Albanian - not Italian - heritage. Though Albania is dominantly Muslim, it does have a large Christian community. The northern region of Albania tends to be Catholic, while the southern portion - bordering on Greece - tends more towards Greek Orthodox. Though it is difficult to discern whether Nikci was Catholic or Greek Orthodox, it is clear that he held very strong Christian beliefs that were rooted in his heritage right up until his death. Even though the Albanian community has been established in this section of the Bronx for generations, the community still holds on to its original religion, language, and culture, despite being fully assimilated by now.

Though this mural is an image and contains very little writing, it can still be read as a text. Even someone who does not know much about the neighborhood or art can quickly deduce that the mural commemorates an Albanian man who held a strong Christian faith. From the Albanian writing, one can assume that it was painted for a group of Albanians residing nearby who can understand the language. It can also be inferred that Nikci was a popular member of the community, otherwise he likely would not have been commemorated through a medium that celebrates his life so publicly. The mural does not need an explanation to accompany it for its message to come across to viewers, and can therefore be considered a text.