No Ice.
No Data Centers.
No Detention Centers.
Local artist designs logo for "This Is Our Mesa" campaign
Mesa native Shela Yu creates with culture, community and intention
The fight to protect our community has begun, and one local artist is bringing This Is Our Mesa to life through meaningful art.
Mesa native Shela Yu is the artist behind the This Is Our Mesa logo, a symbol representing solidarity, protection and hope for the East Valley’s diverse community.
“The base of the logo itself is an Asian dragon and a Mexican Quetzalcoatl intertwined. Those are two symbols that have been in my mind for at least the last six years,” says Shela.
“During our collaboration, there was an idea of making the two beings face away from each other, so it’s like they’ve got each other’s backs. I really liked that aspect.”
Shela says there has been a lot of solidarity between Mexicans and Asian-Americans in Arizona, and specifically in Mesa. “We’re in a time where we need to rely on each other again and remember that we are more similar than different.”
“I want to be able to give people a sense of hope and strength.”
Shela also incorporated symbols from different Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cultures into the design. Such as the Keffiyeh to show solidarity with Palestinians and Samoan symbols of protection.
“One of the main takeaways that I want people to experience is a sense of protection and a sense of community as we move forward when we’re dealing with so many things like data centers, ICE, and this invasion of privacy and our well-being.”
Shela is a daughter to Taiwanese immigrants and has been a full-time artist since 2020. Her vibrant murals can be found across the Phoenix-area, with her work reflecting powerful messages of immigration and climate rights and solidarity in our community.
“We need each other so much more now than ever in order to really fight the oppressor,” says Shela. “When we come out together and intentionally fight for policies that support each other… This is why this campaign is so important and why I support it a thousand times over.”
