“Tender Embrace” by Dustin Hunt // Summer 2023
Multnomah County Health Services // Portland, Oregon
Approximately 18’ W X 9’ H // latex paint
For this design lead artist Dustin Hunt wanted to depict folks embracing in ways that suggest intimacy, trust, and tenderness. The people depicted in the design are in their fullest vibrancy inside a symbolic shape, an inverted triangle, to emphasize focus. This could be viewed as the advances in medicine, practice, and access that allow people living with HIV a fuller, more vibrant life. Dustin included a nod to AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP) to add historical context to the design. The background of the design, scribble-like text and shapes, is inspired from the work of influential artist and social activist Keith Haring.
Dustin’s aim for this design is to create a sense of hope and inspiration for a wide range of people accessing health services.