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In recent years, the emergence of art in public spaces has skyrocketed. From intricate wings on building sides to heartfelt poems on highway overpasses, the amount of variations that have sprung up on unlikely concrete canvases continues to grow.

In Los Angeles, hundreds of social media influencers a day flock to the iconic Pink Wall on Melrose Avenue to snap shots in front of its bubble gum shade.

Artist Edica Pacha’s dreamlike photographic murals — large-scale and layered — serve to tell a deeper story with each brick facade they grace.

The Boulder-based creative often photographs her subjects amid the natural beauty of the Front Range, then creates images teeming with a palpable narrative and plenty of intrigue. With muted tones — warm sepia — she creates pieces that have a surreal quality, yet capture the realness of the people she invites in front of her lens.

Her dynamic work has been featured at Loveland’s Arise Music Festival and at Street Wise Boulder Mural Festival.

This summer, she teamed up with Boulder’s Motus Theater to photograph monologists from the organization’s “UndocuAmerica” series, an ongoing project that provides a platform for immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to share their experiences in their own words.

The 12 murals — six in Boulder and six in Denver — artfully spotlight the stories of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) writers.

Denver-based monologist Kiara Chavez recalls a plane ride to Mexico — after 15 years away from the country — that left her physically and mentally shaken, overcome with the fear that she could possibly not be let back into the U.S, a country she had called home since age 4.

Alejandro Fuentes-Mena — originally from Chile — powerfully recounts the hard work done by his parents for unfair pay. Now in his sixth year of teaching in Colorado, he was one of the first two “DACAmented” teachers in the nation.

The powerful series not only opens up dialogue about immigration policies, but also gives a personal glimpse, face and experience to what many undocumented citizens have gone through.

For Pacha, the series was the largest she has completed and one that holds deep significance for the activist-minded photog.

Passersby can scan QR codes that will queue up videos of the monologist delivering their story in both Spanish and English, making the experience that much more rich and expansive.

In addition to adding to the community with her eye-catching murals, Pacha is the creator of a clothing line called Pacha Play that offers handcrafted items for men and women. From fitted vests with hoods to lightweight ninja pants, the unique urban streetwear pieces channel Burning Man vibes.

We caught up with her to find out more about her recent collaboration with Motus, what inspires her work and what we can expect from her in the future.

Kalene McCort: What inspired you to team up with Motus Theater to help tell the stories of these monologists through your photography?

Edica Pacha: Each year, I look to merge my work with an organization that is doing amazing work in the world. I am interested in creating large-scale art about important issues as a means to educate and create conversation. I reached out to Motus to see if they would be interested in collaborating on creating large-scale murals to share this important work that they are offering to the world.

What Motus is doing to bring these stories to the world is amazing, and I wanted to see how we could merge our mediums and reach a greater audience. I love how each image is QR coded with the link to listen to the story of each participant. This multimedia platform is an amazing way to reach greater audiences and create awareness around the work that Motus offers, as well as a direct link to what it is to be undocumented in America.

KM: What’s been the most rewarding aspect of doing this mural project?

EP: By far the most rewarding aspect of this has been to work with the amazing team of Motus. Each individual shared their story of how they arrived in the U.S. and what it means to be undocumented. They are each powerful humans, bringing so much joy and empowerment to our communities. Each of them are on the front line of immigration and helping the communities around them.

I learned so much from each of them, and was welcomed into the Motus community. They supported my vision and helped me weave in with the Motus participants. I am humbled by the work that Kristen (Wilson, founder and artistic director of Motus Theater) brings forth to the world, and I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to work deeply with Motus. It was incredibly rewarding to learn directly from those on the front lines of immigration.

KM: I love the layers and overall dream-like quality of your work. Where do you glean inspiration, and what’s your process like?

EP: I am a photographer that creates double-exposed images in camera. I layer my work inside the lens, creating with the unknown that will emerge through the experimental craft. I investigate the “unseen,” inviting what wants to reveal itself through light and wonder.

I am a social artist who explores the mystical and mysterious sides of humanity. My unique “layered in camera” photographic style unveils my subjects, allowing humans to be seen and vulnerabilities to be shared. The images are manifestations of the empowerment that comes when we strengthen our relationship to our natural landscape and our ancestors.

Through my work, I draw attention to social issues while forging an intimate connection with the viewer. My desire is to be an ally for diverse individuals and celebrate the lives and journeys they have lived. I seek out opportunities to merge my craft with meaningful stories to bring awareness to and advocate for communities that are often not seen. You can often find my work installed as large scale “paste up” murals on the streets, to have greater impact with the everyday human experience.

KM: Are you still creating clothing for your label Pacha Play? Any new fall-inspired pieces we can look forward to?

EP: Yes. For the past five years I have primarily been focusing on photography and social art, while still selling clothing at UMBA in Boulder. This winter, I will be stepping back into clothing production to produce new wares for Pacha Play. Keep your eye out in spring 2023 for the next unfoldment.

KM: What’s the last day folks can check out the murals, and are there any future projects we can expect from you next?

EP: While the murals are scheduled to be up for a year, some of them are already on the way down. This is the nature of “paste up” art, they are temporary and start to come down with weather and time. I installed in May and June, and some will be up ’til next Spring, while some of them have already been taken down because of vandalism and weather. Catch them while you can.

I am taking this winter to focus primarily on clothing. I am looking into new ways to fund social art projects, as well as longer lasting materials to create permanent installations. Next year, I would like to focus on creating work around food systems and climate justice.

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