An award-winning graphic designer has brought a flavour of Bermudian culture to the streets of Miami at a mural festival in a neighbourhood famed for its street art.

Shanna Hollis, the chairwoman of the Bermuda Arts Council and a teacher at the Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation, wanted to design something that captured the “energy, emotion and colours of our island” for the Wynwood Mural Fest, which ran from November 28 to December 7.

She immediately remembered a photograph of Bermudian singer Sinead the Flower with a hibiscus in her mouth.

The artist explained: “Between the vibrancy of the model, her everyday expression of Bermuda culture and the strength of the photograph itself, it felt like the perfect representation of how I see home. It beautifully captured the spirit and charm of our island.”

Ms Hollis, who received The Bermudian magazine’s product and service award for graphic design this year, worked on the mural with her brother — fellow award-winning artist Nahshon Hollis — and Kennedy Ringgold, with whom she studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

She said: “Both Kennedy and Nahshon are realism painters, and I knew their strengths would add depth to portraying Bermuda in its truest form.

“Working with them taught me that I don’t have to limit myself to flat graphics in murals. I too can explore and execute realistic elements.”

The trio completed the mural at a central Miami plaza in about ten hours over two days.

Ms Hollis said: “Within my work, I often highlight our architecture, lines and shapes, which led to the inclusion of the Bermuda roof, something that would immediately stand out in Miami, along with our kites, which offer a meaningful cultural touchpoint for conversation.

“I also wanted to incorporate my new logo, ‘Happy Bermudiana’, created to embody the ethos and characteristics of Bermudians — warm, proud, welcoming and joyful.”

She added: “I hope people remember that visitors’ curiosity is sparked by our differences, not by what we share with everywhere else.

“That is the idea at the heart of this mural. My hope is that anyone who sees it carries away that same positive, warm Bermudian energy.”

Ms Hollis said: “People have shared that they could see the striking lines from far away and many mentioned how certain elements of the design reminded them of their childhoods and beautiful flowers they’ve seen throughout the Caribbean.”

She has worked on several murals in Bermuda, including on Palmetto Road in Pembroke and at King’s Square in St George,

Ms Hollis plans to complete more as part of the Bermuda Walls festival and has been invited to create art around the world.

She encouraged accomplished artists to “create more opportunities to learn, observe and expand”.

Ms Hollis added: “Opening doors for someone else never closes your own; it strengthens the entire community.”

She advised aspiring artists to welcome fear, embrace new experiences and not be discouraged by the word “no”.

Ms Hollis said: “Whether it’s ‘no, you didn’t get the job’, ‘no, you weren’t accepted into the show’, or just a simple ‘no’, use these moments as fuel.

“Turn every negative into something positive. That has been the fuel for my journey in design.”

She thanked Kendra Earls for introducing her to the world of murals through the Flora Duffy Project in 2022, as well as the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Burnt House Productions for sponsoring the piece in Miami.