To create this piece, Sebastian used acrylic paint and an airbrush technique to develop a vibrant mango-colored background, while incorporating imagery of monkeys and the house as symbols of separation, displacement, and the search for belonging. Inspired by moments in Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, the artwork reflects Esperanza’s complicated relationship with the house and her neighborhood. Throughout the novel, Esperanza expresses feeling disconnected from the place she calls home, describing a longing for a space where she truly belongs. Through these symbols, Sebastian explores themes of identity, isolation, and the desire to find a home that feels like her own. Made possible by the NEA Big Read Grant through Arts Midwest and the National Endowment for the Arts