Ink on the Urban Canvas: The Story of Henk Schiffmacher’s Mural at Fishtown Urby 

The exterior of Fishtown Urby is defined by its mix of warm brick and playful green and blue cladding, but the building truly comes alive with a mural created by legendary Dutch tattoo artist Henk Schiffmacher.  
Known globally for his bold, distinctive style and for tattooing icons from Kurt Cobain to Lady Gaga, Henk has spent decades shaping tattoo culture around the world. With his mural, Songlines for the City, he translates his mastery from skin to the urban canvas, creating an iconic 4-story mural in Fishtown, Philadelphia.  

The mural weaves together symbols inspired by Aboriginal songlines, Lenape wampum beadwork, and classic tattoo motifs to tell the layered story of Fishtown’s past and present. Schiffmacher embraces the idea that symbols—whether painted on rocks, walls, or skin—act as messages and markers, connecting generations and places. As such, the mural reads like a modern-day rock wall, unfolding in vertical bands painted in deep cobalt blue, a color chosen to reference Dutch Delftware heritage.  
The facade itself charts a route through time and place, echoing Indigenous songlines by mapping Fishtown’s journey from its Lenape origins, through its working-class heritage, to its present as a hub for creative makers.  

With this mural, Schiffmacher adds a legible skin to Fishtown. Songlines of the City is more than an image: it is an invitation, a map, a message, and a meeting place. Like wampum or a sailor’s tattoo, the mural unfolds a layered story, celebrating human connection, craftsmanship, and the story of Fishtown.