A massive tiger, its eyes fixed intently on a distant horizon, has taken up residence in the heart of Logan Square. The mural, created by local artist Chris Orta, stretches from just above street level to over 20 feet into the air, making it an imposing presence on North California Avenue and West Altgeld Street.
The tiger's inspiration came from Orta's own tattoos, which often feature Japanese imagery. He was commissioned by Eric Blanck, one of the chefs and co-owners of Jinsei Motto, a sushi restaurant relocating to the space. The image is meant to symbolize "rising up" – a phrase that resonates with Blanck and his partner Patrick Bouaphanh's vision for their business.
As Orta worked on the mural, he wanted it to blend in with the surrounding buildings, which are mostly beige-colored structures. To achieve this effect, he used a neutral palette of gray, black, beige, and soft red. The result is a striking yet understated image that invites passersby to take a closer look.
When asked about his creative process, Orta revealed that he always considers how a mural will contribute to the neighborhood beyond its own business. He hopes that pedestrians and motorists will feel inspired by the piece and perhaps even be motivated to create something similar themselves.
Jinsei Motto's new location is set to reopen early next year, and with this majestic tiger watching over it, the restaurant is poised to become a standout destination in Logan Square. The rising star of the neighborhood, Orta's mural serves as a fitting tribute to the power of art to bring people together and uplift the community.
The tiger's inspiration came from Orta's own tattoos, which often feature Japanese imagery. He was commissioned by Eric Blanck, one of the chefs and co-owners of Jinsei Motto, a sushi restaurant relocating to the space. The image is meant to symbolize "rising up" – a phrase that resonates with Blanck and his partner Patrick Bouaphanh's vision for their business.
As Orta worked on the mural, he wanted it to blend in with the surrounding buildings, which are mostly beige-colored structures. To achieve this effect, he used a neutral palette of gray, black, beige, and soft red. The result is a striking yet understated image that invites passersby to take a closer look.
When asked about his creative process, Orta revealed that he always considers how a mural will contribute to the neighborhood beyond its own business. He hopes that pedestrians and motorists will feel inspired by the piece and perhaps even be motivated to create something similar themselves.
Jinsei Motto's new location is set to reopen early next year, and with this majestic tiger watching over it, the restaurant is poised to become a standout destination in Logan Square. The rising star of the neighborhood, Orta's mural serves as a fitting tribute to the power of art to bring people together and uplift the community.
! I mean, who wouldn't wanna walk down North California Ave and be greeted by this bad boy? Orta's artwork is always on point and this piece is like nothin' else in the city. The way he blended all those colors together is pure magic 
. It's dope that it's gonna be a part of Jinsei Motto's new spot, I'm def hit up for lunch when they reopen next year 
. This tiger mural is not just some art, it's like a symbol of the community comin' together, upliftin each other and risin above all that negativity 
This artwork reminds me of the 'public art' policy debates that have been happening in other parts of the country. It got me thinking, who decides what gets commissioned for public spaces? Is it just about local artists getting a shot or is there some level-headed assessment of what's going to make a community proud? The neutral color palette used here does make the image more approachable but wouldn't it be great if we had more ' bold' statements in our cityscapes too, ones that really stood out and inspired people to take action? 
This Logan Square tiger mural is low-key stunning - I mean, who needs a superhero when you got a majestic tiger watching over sushi? 
. poor logan square residents are gonna be stuck inside with no heat or hot water...not exactly the perfect vibe for a new restaurant to open 
! so theres this massive tigur in logan sq & its like staring right at u thru the mural lol but seriously, its def not just a random artwork... think about it, who commissioned it? Eric Blanck, the chef from Jinsei Motto restaurant. is he tryin 2 send a message? Like, maybe its not jus about the tiger bein all majestic & stuff... what if its actually a metaphor 4 somethin else? 
and dont even get me started on the colors they chose... gray, black, beige, soft red... thats like, code or somethin 
i mean, Orta said it was 2 blend in w/ the buildins, but what if its actually tryin 2 hide somethin? 
anywayz, i think the tiger is def a cool addition 2 the neighborhood, & i can see how it could bring ppl together... BUT i still got a feelin there's more 2 this story than meets the eye 
! I mean, can you even believe a TIGER is literally watching over that sushi restaurant?! It's like, totally Instagrammable now 
. And the best part? The artist, Chris Orta, actually thought about how it would fit into the neighborhood, not just slap something up for its own sake. That's so cool! 
I love how it's using a more muted color palette to blend in with the surroundings, but still making it pop. It's like the whole area is getting a major aesthetic upgrade 
. Can't wait to check out Jinsei Motto when it opens next year and take some sick pics with this bad boy 
. But seriously, I love how he blended in with the beige buildings - like he didn't want to be the main attraction 
. The idea of it being a symbol for 'rising up' is pretty deep too. Maybe we can all just take a cue from Ortas art and not let our murals get forgotten 
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The colors Orta chose are super on point too - the soft red adds this pop of color that makes the whole thing feel more vibrant than just a plain old tiger mural would. And I gotta say, it's kinda awesome that Orta is thinking about how his art will affect the neighborhood beyond just the business itself. 
The artist, Chris Orta, created this awesome mural that's literally 20 feet tall! It's so cool because it was inspired by his own tattoos and features Japanese imagery. I love how the colors are all neutral and stuff, so it blends in with the surrounding buildings. Orta's really into community art, which is super awesome, 'cause he wants people to feel inspired by the mural and maybe even create something similar themselves! 
