"El Camino es el Destino" / "The Journey is the Destination" is a mural created for Parees Fest in Oviedo, Spain; a city known for the origin of the Camino de Santiago. Each year the mural festival invites artists from around the world to create site-specific murals in the city. 

I created a mural at a stopping point on the "Camino Primitivo", one of the oldest routes to Santiago for ancient Christian pilgrims, and a path established by the King of Asturias hundreds of years ago. This section of the camino is also known for being one of the toughest and most difficult journeys over rough terrain to reach the city of Santiago. Asturias is mountainous, with strong winds, frequent storms, and a close proximity to the sea, and this reflects in the walk from Oviedo to Santiago. I identified a lot with this site and with the concept of the camino primitivo. Not only does this mural depict a typical modern-day pilgrim (and a female no less!), but it also considers the growth that comes with suffering and difficulty. Symbolic elements such as vines, thorns, and a rocky road show the tough path faced by pilgrims. The figure also walks at night, unable to see in front of her, but using the stars as her guide. Yet the thorns around her feet blossom with beautiful flowers, and bright color abounds throughout the obscurity.

Through this piece I aimed to reflect on the duality of beauty and pain existing simultaneously, and the search for deeper meaning throughout life's journeys. 

Photos by Fer Alcala and Aida Fernandez Martinez for Parees Fest.