Artist Statement: My design centers around the theme of islands, which are a unique part of New York City’s geography. In my design I tie this into the cultural background of many New Yorkers who may come from islands as well. Sometimes New York can feel isolating because of the amount of people that live here, but I want to show that the islands are connected and to impart a sense of community in the way the different elements interact. Included too are the many animal inhabitants of our NYC islands and those from other islands as well. This blend of urban and natural elements is a reflection of how I experience NYC.
Clementine Martinez is an illustrator and printmaker born in NYC and currently living in Brooklyn. She received her BFA from Pratt Institute. Since 2019 she has been involved in a number of public art projects, including painting a Sing For Hope piano, designing a mural that will be printed on vinyl to cover HESCO barriers for the Roosevelt Island Operating Commission, and creating a mural for the underground market in the Columbus Circle subway station. She has participated in the Red Dot Winner Exhibition at the Art Students League and in the Affordable Art Fair, and has illustrated three children’s books for a cancer research organization. Her upcoming public art project with the Hudson Square BID will help direct pedestrians along a walk to the waterfront.
