MOZAIK Philanthropy Unveils "Abrazo Mutuo" (Mutual Embrace) Mural by Alfredo "Libre" Gutierrez at Friendship Park, Tijuana

Hope takes flight: 3,713 sq ft of colorful wings transform the U.S.–Mexico border wall

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MOZAIK Philanthropy, with support from the Friends of Friendship Park program, proudly announces the unveiling of Abrazo Mutuo (Mutual Embrace), a monumental new mural by visionary artist Alfredo "Libre" Gutierrez at Friendship Park in Tijuana. Spanning 3,713 square feet of the U.S.–Mexico border wall, the mural is a bold visual of unity in a time of deep division—years in the making and created through MOZAIK's participatory flow funding model.

Painted by Libre, alongside students, community artists, and deported individuals, the mural features an eagle and a condor flying together—honoring the Indigenous prophecy of the Eagle (North—intellect) and Condor (South—intuition), which foretells a future of harmony between peoples of the North and South. The wings stretch across the wall's edge, blurring man-made borders in a vibrant act of love, resistance, and collective imagination.

"Libre's mural is a testament to the role of art in making visible what policies try to erase: our shared humanity," said Neda Nobari, Founder of MOZAIK Philanthropy. "This is what MOZAIK has stood for—giving artists the space and support to challenge systems and imagine a more just world."

Commissioned through a flow fund grant from MOZAIK Director of Development Daria Mashouf, the mural is a product of long-term collaboration, rooted in trust-based philanthropy. "Supporting Libre wasn't just about funding a project—it was about nurturing a vision over years," said Mashouf. "This mural reminds us that love is a form of resistance, and art is its most powerful language."

Libre put it simply: "In this time of division, as Latin Americans and people worldwide, we should unite."

MOZAIK—formerly the Neda Nobari Foundation—has long supported artists working at the intersection of social and environmental justice. Friendship Park, where the mural resides, is one of the few locations where families separated by the U.S.–Mexico border can see each other face-to-face through a steel fence. Abrazo Mutuo doesn't ignore this reality—it transforms it, using bold color and Indigenous symbolism to create a shared language of hope and healing.

The mural's completion comes at a time of rising global tension around migration, borders, and human rights. In response, Abrazo Mutuo offers a bold vision—a future where walls become bridges, and strangers meet as kin.

With a blessing from the Kumiai Nation at its inauguration, this mural now lives not only as a stunning work of public art—but also as a call to conscience.

Media Contact:
Keely Badger
MOZAIK Philanthropy
[email protected]

SOURCE MOZAIK Philanthropy