Jesse Bransford, Δε Σοφία (Towards Wisdom), 2013, glazed hand painted terra cotta, PS 281, Manhattan

Δε Σοφíα (Towards Wisdom) is a mural series along the PS 281 exterior façade and inside lobby. Making up the very walls of the building, the artwork is interspersed within a field of rich, deep blue tiles that functions as a visual walkway from the street into the lobby. 

Knowledge is the overarching theme of the piece – the quest towards knowledge, and beyond that, towards wisdom. It is made of glazed terra cotta tiles hand-painted by the artist. Within a sky-like, celestial background are four figures drawn from different eras throughout history, as well as various cultures. Symbolized by their poses and the objects they hold, the figures suggest notions of thinking, contemplation, inquiry, and experimentation. Completing the composition are four Ionic style columns. Each column is topped by a different representation of a mathematical form known as a tesseract. Pulling together topics of study including mathematics, architecture, time and space, philosophy, physics, astrology, and geometry, Δε Σοφíα (Towards Wisdom) references the educational experience that lies ahead for students and serves as a metaphor and inspiration for learning.