Photos By Gail

It seems there’s always something new to discover in and around Freeman Alley, the Lower East Side’s ever-changing street art mecca. On the day after the Fourth of July, with the summer heat still hanging over the city, I spotted this oversized Pink Buddha mural on Rivington Street, just a few steps from the alley itself. Despite looking carefully, I couldn’t find an artist’s tag, so perhaps one of my readers can chime in.

In the second photo below, you’ll notice a Japanese lucky cat painted on the adjacent doorway, bearing the tag IMK — possibly the same artist I featured in an earlier post. Did IMK also paint this giant pink Buddha? It’s hard to say, and for now the mural’s creator remains a mystery.

I’m not sure how long this cheerful Buddha remained on the wall—or whether it’s still there today — but for the moment I found it, it was impossible not to smile. With its rosy pink color, peaceful expression, and prayer beads draped casually over one knee, it seemed to offer a quiet blessing to everyone passing by. It’s exactly the kind of unexpected discovery that makes an urban art safari on the streets of the LES so rewarding.

Update, August 14, 2026:

On  this date I walked by the mural and was overjoyed to see that  this is what it looks like now! Perhaps the pink color was just a primer. Anyway, it’s fantastic and happy to see it’s still there for al to enjoy, at least for now.