This mural is the product of a collaborative process between artists Tiffany Black Behzad and Abdul Qahar Behzad and the residents of Hanna Commons, a 55-unit permanent supportive housing community developed by UPholdings to address homelessness with dignity, housing, and on-site services. Through a series of three interactive community workshops, residents were invited to share what “home” means to them, create art, and help shape the final design. “People who, for some, this was their first real home, and they were able to create a vision for what they wanted to see and feel when they came home each day,” said Black Behzad. “The process of envisioning and creating something beautiful together gave people a deeper connection to their space and to one another.” Project Coordinator Michelle Salinas agreed, saying, “When residents have the opportunity to contribute to their space, they’re more likely to take care of it and look out for one another. It builds community and a collective sense of ownership and pride in the place they call home.”
The mural features flowering dogwood blossoms–native to the region, and a metaphor for putting down roots–intertwined with hummingbirds and butterflies. The imagery symbolizes life cycles, resilience, and transformation. The project was created through the City of Indianapolis’ Public Art for Neighborhoods program, administered by the Indy Arts Council.
Tiffany Black Behzad is an Indianapolis-based painter, illustrator, muralist, and community artist. She has been creating large-scale works since 2003, and has painted over 40 murals in 8 states, many of them community-based. Black is Visiting Lecturer of Art at Franklin College, and adjunct Professor of Art at Ivy Tech Community College and Arkansas Tech University.
Abdul Qahar Behzad is a self-taught painter originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, and is now based in Indianapolis. A trained lawyer, he currently (2025) works as a Legal Assistant for Exodus Refugee Immigration. Behzad was the first artist to display and sell his paintings at Camp Eggers, a US military base in Kabul. From 2005 to 2018, he operated painting studios there, as well as at Camp Phoenix, NKC (New Kabul Compound) Base, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) “Resolute Support” Headquarters, Camp Cobra, and Camp Qula House, where he created artworks for soldiers and military personnel. When Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, with the help of U.S. servicemen, including some from Indiana, Behzad evacuated to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where he volunteered as an interpreter for 4 months. He is committed to helping other refugees like himself.
