Detroit muralist turns blank walls into masterpieces, honors city's culture
(CBS DETROIT) — Art can turn empty spaces into something extraordinary, and one Detroit artist brings stories to life with every brush stroke.
Detroit muralist Anthony Lee has spent more than a decade transforming blank walls into masterpieces, painting over 260 murals while celebrating Detroit's legends and honoring his heritage.
"I just like seeing art activate spaces and doing something for people," Lee said.
That's why Lee says he's so intentional, whistling his way through each section of a wall until what was once blank becomes filled with powerful images.
Lee's latest mural at Bricktown station, a Detroit People Mover stop on Beaubien Street, just north of Congress Street, is a collaboration with City Walls Detroit and the People Mover and was designed to beautify the city ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
"My pitch for this People Mover station was five people who have moved to Detroit," Lee said.
Nearly 150 artists submitted proposals for the project, but only Lee and four others were selected to paint murals at five People Mover stations. Lee says his goal was to create something Detroiters would resonate with.
"No matter where you come from," he said. "You will always be an ambassador of where you come from."
Lee is a first-generation Chinese Vietnamese American. Lee's family are Vietnam War refugees with origins from Hong Kong. He incorporates his culture in his work, which at times serves as a reminder of a dark chapter in American history, but it's also deeply reflective, undoubtedly expressive, and everything Lee has worked for his art to be.
"An artist's grind is hard, but like anything worth having, you have to grind," Lee said. "You have to hustle, [and] you have to find your way."
Lee is hosting a gallery opening at Detroit Shipping Company on Dec. 7. The exhibit is a celebration of Asian culture in Detroit's historic Chinatown.
