Alright, so, today I’m gonna talk about something I did recently that was pretty cool – making a Maradona graffiti piece. You know, Maradona, the legendary football player? Yeah, that guy.
It all started when I was walking around Naples. I saw all these murals and graffiti of him everywhere. The guy’s a real icon in that city, seriously. I mean I saw two murals of him and he was on Strada Comunale Taverna del Ferro and Quartieri Spagnoli. And they even have one of Sophia Loren on Vico dei Zuroli. I even saw a huge San Gennaro, by Jorit. Pretty cool, I thought it will be fun to try it. That’s when I said to myself I have to do a street mural for him too. I really got inspired by all the street art I saw in Naples and Buenos Aires, the energy and the passion, you know?
First, I did some digging. I found out that the most famous Maradona murals were made by Mario Filardi back in 1990. I guess I wanted to create something with that same spirit, that same love for the man. I spent some time just looking at pictures of him, watching old match highlights and try to capture his glory. Feeling his energy, man.
Then came the fun part – choosing a wall. I wanted somewhere prominent, somewhere that screamed “Maradona was here!” After some looking around, I found this perfect spot in a busy alley, a nice, big, blank wall just begging for some color. I really wanted to celebrate the life of Maradona and I think this is the best spot.
Next, I started sketching. I’m no pro artist, but I had a vision in my head. I wanted to show Maradona in his prime, that iconic pose with the ball, you know the one? I sketched and erased and sketched some more until I had something I was kinda happy with. Then, I gathered my supplies – spray cans, stencils, a ladder, the whole shebang. I have a few different colors on my spray cans, I’m really excited to use them. This is my first time doing a street mural.
Painting day was a rush. I started early, blasting some music, and just went for it. I outlined the figure, then started filling in the colors, bit by bit. People were walking by, some stopping to watch, some even cheering me on. It was a real community vibe, which was awesome. It took me hours, but seeing it come together, it was worth every second. I can see people are also taking pictures of my work. I’m really proud of myself.
By the end of the day, there he was – Maradona, in all his glory, right there on the wall. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. And the best part? People loved it. They were taking pictures, talking about it, even leaving little notes and flowers around it. The mural became a small tribute to the football legend, by one of his fans who is a graffiti newbie.
This whole experience taught me a lot. It wasn’t just about making a mural, it was about connecting with something bigger, a legend, a city’s love for a hero. It was about the power of street art to bring people together and to tell a story. It’s incredible how one mural can gather people’s attention and admiration. And you know what? I’m already thinking about my next project. Maybe another football legend, or maybe something completely different. Who knows?
