"Especially those lives that were lost. We don't want the memories to disappear just overnight," Marquez said.
Each cross represents a life that was lost in both fires. People who pass by say it puts it all into perspective.
"It's one thing to see a number in an article, but this makes it very, very real and it's hard to see," said Ruby, a Pasadena resident.
"I feel for the families, and I definitely pray for them and hope that they come out stronger," Daniel Funaki said.
Marquez started making these tributes more than six years ago. Since then, he's gone city to city, memorializing everything from a Fernando Valenzuela mural in Los Angeles to the dozens of migrants found dead in San Antonio, to the more recent New Orleans truck attack.
"Eventually the memorial became like a shrine, a temple, a place to connect, reflect, to pray, to cry," Marquez said.
He hopes that's what his memorial in Southern California becomes.
"I think it will be a good connection for us to send a message that we care," Marquez said. "We are united, and we are resilient."
He knows that his art is just one small part of a bigger picture that can help kickstart the healing process.
"This is something that I start, and the community helps me to follow and connect with others," Marquez said.
The memorial can be found at the corner of North Lake Avenue and East Villa Street in Pasadena.