Marka27’s Indigenous Flow celebrates heritage with a modern edge

Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez, 48, is a Brooklyn-based artist whose vibrant, large-scale works are rooted in cultural pride, social justice, and ancestral memory. His murals, like “Indigenous Flow” in Sunset Park, honor heritage while reflecting the communities they live in.

From the stunning “Brownsville King of Love” to the equally gorgeous “Transformaciones” artworks, New York, and especially Brooklyn, always hold a special place in Quiñonez’s heart.

“New York and Brooklyn, it's such an incredibly diverse city,” Quiñonez says. “It’s always a good opportunity to spotlight my art on a large scale.”

His creative drive is deeply connected to his Mexican Indigenous heritage. Quiñonez blends authenticity and cultural symbolism into every piece. “What’s important is understanding there’s no one way to be any culture,” he explains. “But there are some incredibly unifying things amongst all cultures: family, heritage, and dance.”

His signature “Neo-Indigenous” art style fuses ancestral symbolism with contemporary graffiti sensibility. One of his favorite pieces, “Indigenous Flow,” exemplifies this blend. “It’s very traditional cultural symbolism incorporating beading from Taíno, but drawn in this modernistic graffiti style, with water as the representation of the voyage of all of us,” Quiñonez says.

He describes his process as deliberate and community-centered. “For all the murals, it’s all about composition first,” he says. “Looking at the buildings and where they’re placed.”

His earliest artistic inspirations trace back to high school, when he discovered the Big Three of the Mexican Muralist Movement. “The three Mexican masters — Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros — who I’ve looked up to,” Quiñonez says. “They were the greats transforming how we look at murals.”

In 2017, he co-founded the creative agency Street Theory with his wife, Liza. Quiñonez, the father of three, has shown no signs of slowing down. Street Theory was built on artistic expression, supporting emerging artists, and creating opportunities to blend street culture with contemporary art.

Even with spaces like Street Theory, created to help break through systemic barriers, those barriers remain. As publication Hyperallergic notes, the commercialization and exclusivity of contemporary art has led institutions like El Museo del Barrio to adopt a Eurocentric mindset, often disregarding muralists and depictions of Indigenous culture.

Quiñonez’s experience with microaggressions in the art world is ongoing. “I deal with it now — beginning, middle, and right now,” he says. “A lot of it stems from those predominantly white faces in power, controlling the monetary aspects.”

Challenges also include access to funding and earning a living wage as an artist. “Sustainability is a big challenge,” Quiñonez says. “Artists want to be able to make art as well as make a living off their art.”

Still, those struggles don’t dim his purpose. Some of Quiñonez’s proudest moments come from seeing the public’s perception of his work. “When you hear people’s reaction to the work,” he says. “When I see a whole community own that mural, it’s theirs, which makes me proud.”

Having created hundreds of murals across different cities and boroughs, Quiñonez envisions expanding globally with immersive art installations. “Creating more installation work that can be seen indoors and outdoors,” he says. “It’s always good to evolve your work as an artist.”

A quote Quiñonez resonates with is from artist Paul Goodnight: “He who controls the image can control the mind.” “It speaks volumes on what you see at museums on a global level,” Quiñonez explains.

As advice for emerging artists, he urges openness and perseverance. “Don’t think there is only one way to do things,” Quiñonez says. “Don’t let needing to survive deteriorate your creativity.”

Quiñonez doesn’t just revamp buildings — he reshapes perspectives. As his art evolves, his message of unity remains just as potent.