Rob ‘ProBlak’ Gibbs will be the first Black Boston-native artist to paint a Dewey Square mural

A Roxbury-born artist known for his vibrant graffiti art will create Dewey Square’s next mural. 

The Rose Kennedy Greenway is commissioning Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs, a visual artist and organizer who has gained fame for his graffiti art since the early ’90s, as the creator of the upcoming 70-by-76-foot mural.

Gibbs is the first Black Boston-native artist to be commissioned for the mural by the Conservancy’s Public Art Program. According to an announcement by the Greenway, Gibbs’ vision is to beautify and represent the predominantly Black and Brown communities of Boston — a driving force behind his artistic practice. 

He is set to create the public artwork in May. It will be the 10th mural to go up at Dewey Square as part of the conservancy’s public art program. Gibbs’ mural will replace Daniel Gordon’s Summer Still Life with Lobsters and Fern, which was created last spring.

“I’m really honored to partner with the Greenway Conservancy as the first Black Boston-based artist on the Dewey Square mural,” Gibbs said in a press release. “My vision is to add to Boston’s skyline in a way that elevates the voices and work of those who’ve come before us as well as our future generations. It’s about taking this space to a higher frequency of love and understanding.”

The conservancy’s announcement described Gibbs’ artwork in the Breathe Life mural series across Boston as “joyful, cosmic, and powerful” depictions of Black youth. His most recent work can be seen at his alma mater, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, as part of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts Mural Project. 

“Rob’s work elevates and celebrates. He has a voice that is authentically Boston, decisively joyous and critically engaged,” said Chris Cook, executive director at the Greenway Conservancy. “The Greenway is about connecting people — to neighborhoods and to each other. We are honored that an artist of Rob’s skill and talent will share his vision from The Greenway for everyone to see.”

Gibbs came of age during the hip-hop golden age of the ’90s. While a teenager, Gibbs discovered graffiti to be a powerful tool of self-expression. 

“Graffiti is a tool for me and others in my community, to chronicle and immortalize our culture and history. It’s a contemporary form of hieroglyphs, a way to document and pay homage to under-heard people in my community,” Gibbs said.

Visit problak.com to learn more about Gibbs and to see his artwork.