In the past it might have been easy for Kingsbridge area residents to go about their daily business without a thought given to their neighborhood's history and surroundings-places like Kingsbridge Hills, Ewen Park, Harlem River, Jerome Park Reservoir, and Spuyten Duyvil Creek. This is no longer the case. Felipe Galindo's “Magic Realism in Kingsbridge” stems from his study of the area's residents and his hopes that the imagery in his designs will engage the audience, inspiring them to meditate on their surroundings and see things they take for granted in a different way. 

Galindo says he sought to discover the unexpected treasures in the neighborhood-its life, diversity, nature, and most of all the power of imagination. Each element in the faceted glass panels presents a surprising scene. For example, a tropical island is found in the Harlem River, and a fire escape leads to the heavens, providing a sense of magic. Galindo feels that his artwork, with its combination of urban, natural, surreal and historical elements, provides an opportunity for viewers to experience something intriguing or surprising each time they pass through the 231 Street subway station.

Felipe Galindo (aka Feggo) was born in Cuernavaca, Mexico and received a BFA in Visual Arts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and now lives and works in New York City. Specializing in humorous art, Galindo’s projects include fine art, public art, illustration, cartoons and animation. His graphic work has been exhibited and published extensively around the world and is featured in many public and private collections. His drawings have appeared in numerous publications including The New Yorker, New York Times and Wall Street Journal. He is the creator of the celebrated on-going series “Manhatitlan: Mexican and American Cultures Intertwined,” which is a series of artworks on paper and two animation films about the intertwining of Mexican and American cultures. He has received numerous awards and honors including from the Puffin Foundation; Rockefeller Foundation; Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; US / México Fund for Culture Grant and United Nations Correspondents Association.