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Women’s Resilience Center

Mural Artist: JoJo Wang
July 2025

This mural was created for the International Rescue Committee in San Diego’s Women’s Resilience Center, and was shaped by the ideas and creativity of women from refugee communities including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Haiti, and Arabic-speaking countries. Lead Artist JoJo Wang designed the piece based on a series of social-emotional art workshops, where participants shared personal reflections, symbols, and themes they hoped to see represented in the art. The final mural was painted together over three community paint days, with many of the women and their families helping to bring it to life.

Every element in the mural reflects something that was named during the input sessions. At the center, three women stand together, looking toward the horizon,a powerful image of solidarity, strength, and resilience. The surrounding landscape includes sunflowers (a symbol of Ukraine), tulips (named by Afghan participants), leafy trees to represent rootedness and growth, and a butterfly as a symbol of transformation. A waterfall flows through the mural, representing healing, renewal, and the promise of better days ahead. Mountains anchor the background, symbolizing both calm and strength.

The mural continues onto an adjacent wall, the first thing visible when entering the space, where an open book symbolizes the pursuit of education upon arriving in a new country, a theme shared by every group. From the pages of the book, flowing patterned lines stretch across the sky, representing the unique journeys of each woman. These lines are filled with textile patterns drawn from the many cultures represented at the WRC, honoring the women’s heritage and the sewing classes held in the space. Together, these patterns suggest that while each story is distinct, they are part of a shared and interconnected journey.

This project was made possible through funding from the Prebys Foundation’s Healing Through the Arts Initiative and stands as a tribute to the strength, creativity, and vision of the women who shaped it.