Artist behind glowing mural in Hazel Park hoping nature can inspire unity

HAZEL PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Michigan artist is transforming private spaces into public pieces of art in hopes of creating unity in the community. We caught up with the artist, Robert Zurenko, at one of his murals in Hazel Park, which is painted on a private fence.

"I think art is one of the easiest things to come behind and enjoy. While we were making this we had so many people stopping by to check it out it became an event. It was an event more so than just a piece of art," he said. 

"My favorite artist of all time is Mother Nature. I think that she can't do anything wrong; anything she makes is perfect and amazing and beautiful. So really I consider this like kind of cheating because my subjects are gorgeous already."

As a multifaceted artist, his work is all about unity right now, during this time of racial reckoning and the economic and health uncertainty of a global pandemic. There's a message he wants to personally communicate to everyone no matter their background or journey.

"I'm not just gay I'm also trans. I think, for me and my art, I use things with nature a lot because I want to communicate this idea that everybody is natural. There's so many minorities that get told they're unnatural that they don't belong, that they're apparent of nature that nature made a mistake. But guess what - nature doesn't make mistakes. She only makes what she can use and have a reason for."

The work on this fence, which glows in the dark, is only one part of a broader perspective Robert can celebrate with every brush strokes and every color blending and UV paint and artistry. He's ready to take on the next fence.

"I also see a can see a canvas there and there and there. It's all around you. The opportunity for art is all around you."