Street art in Rio de Janeiro
On my recent trip to Rio, I visited the Olympic Boulevard, located by the port to see one of the world’s largest street murals by the Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra.
Kobra worked on it for 12 hours a day for two months so he could complete it just before the 2016 Olympic Games. During an interview he said he made more than ten experimental drawings before he was happy with his overall vision. It took a further month preparing the wall before he could paint it.
At the time of completion it was officially the world’s largest graffiti mural. Painted across a 190-metres long wall, 15.5 metres in height, and over an area measuring almost 3,000 square metres. However, in 2017 Kobra broke his own record when he painted a street mural that was 5,700 square metres in Sao Paulo.
Nevertheless, Ethnicities is still perhaps Kobra’s most famous work to date, and is one of the city’s star attractions.
Ethnicities by Eduardo Kobra
The mural comprises of five faces from different ethnicities – a Tajapo boy from Brazil, a Mursi woman from Ethiopia, a Kayin woman from Thailand, a Supi man from Northern Europe and a Huli man from Papua New Guinea.
To give an impression of the scale of Kobra’s mural, my friend took a photo of me in front of the mural of a Supi man. As you can see, the scale is huuuuge.
Naming the work Ethnicities was a simple but effective choice, it represents and celebrates humanity’s common ancestors, the indigenous people from America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania and ties in with the whole philosophy of the Olympic Games.
The Olympic Movement
The Olympic Games is so much more than a tally of medals for each country – the good sportsmanship, sense of fair play, and respect for fellow athletes that is developed through participation in sports teaches men and women of different races, religions, and nationalities to work peacefully together in competition toward common goals. The Olympic Movement works to expand such lessons beyond the sports arena in the hope of promoting peace and a sense of brotherhood throughout the world.
It’s for these reasons why Kobra’s mural stands out as being more than just a painting. It celebrates diversity, yet also unites us.
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3 responses
Nice one Shing!
I love the street art murals but I’m not sure that I’d go to Rio myself lol!
Thanks Victoria! Funny you say that because I wasn’t entirely won over by Rio. Expected to like it more than I did, nevertheless still glad I went but not raring to go back too soon!