Leading up to the 17th anniversary of 9/11, wife-husband duo Chinon Maria and Sebastian Mitre discuss their large-scale mural near the World Trade Center campus and how it delivers a message of unity.

A section of the ‘One World, Our Children’ mural | © Rachel Thalia / Culture Trip

Perhaps the most emotionally charged place in New York City, the World Trade Center campus continues to undergo a revitalizing transformation. Ascending the stairs of the Oculus or coming out of the subway at the recently reopened Cortlandt Street station, the solemn weight of a mournful history is still felt, even amid the glittering, colossal new skyscrapers. But what once was a literal hole in the earth, devoid of joy for so long, is coming alive again with not only new construction, but also colorful creations that bring a sense of hope and artistic vitality to the area.

While art can’t erase a painful history, it does have a transformative power, offering a little bit of joy – and quite possibly a touch of healing – in what remain divisive times.

Maria in front of the mural | © Rachel Thalia / Culture Trip

A passing couple admires the art | © Rachel Thalia / Culture Trip

Chinon Maria and Sebastian Mitre’s mural One World, Our Children at 5 WTC features the faces of nine refugee girls from all over the world. The 224ft (68.27m) wall was commissioned by the president of the Downtown Alliance after she saw Chinon’s mural work on the 69th floor of Silverstein Properties’ 4 WTC. Less than a block away from the 9/11 Memorial, the vibrant mural adds bursts of color to a wall that for nearly 10 years stood somberly blank.

The mural depicts the faces and words of refugee children | © Rachel Thalia / Culture Trip

“It’s a very hopeful, inspiring piece because we worked with over 1,400 children globally to incorporate their words and their dreams for the future of the world into the piece, as well,” Chinon says. “It’s a very uplifting message.”

Some of the children’s “uplifting messages” | © Rachel Thalia / Culture Trip

“And that’s what makes us the most proud,” Sebastian says. “Because it’s about refugee girls. It took us a month to paint it. The wall where we painted was the original entrance to the 9/11 Memorial when it was just a hole with gates. And now you see this rainbow of smiles.”

Adding a playful, cheerful energy to the site – especially with the contentious issue of immigration at hand – ran the risk of seeming irreverent, but the community received the mural with gratitude.