Universal Chapel
Street Murals by Okuda San Miguel, in 1300 Garrison Avenue Fort Smith, ARFort Smith, AR
Madrid's Okuda San Miguel created the masterful "Universal Chapel" for The Unexpected project (2016). It is located directly across from Immaculate Conception, a historic Catholic church and ornate cathedral in downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Commissioned by Just Kids, Okuda San Miguel was invited to fully paint this house. His approach mixed his peculiar iconography together with indian patterns to stunning effect. Since the makeover, the house has served as a cultural center for local kids.
Meet the Creator
"“Where Okuda San Miguel appears, a portal to different world opens. His psychedelic colors, skulls, geometric patterns, they produce mental stimulation and visually pleasing content. His vibrant jungle of colors found its place on walls, paintings, photographs. Okuda’s signature style are colors, the brighter the better. With the help of online donations and Red Bull, he painted the inside walls of a 100-year old church Santa Barbara in Llanera, Asturias. It’s called Kaos Temple and it is a true sanctuary. As a skate part it gathers skaters, athletes, and adrenaline lovers, but for the art community, Okuda’s murals in the church are a real out-of-this-world spectacles. Brilliant colors and precise shapes, being done by a steady hand, this work of art is one of the most magnificent sites in the area. Works and illustrations of the artist have been exhibited in posters and art installations sponsored by worldwide known brands such as Puma, Adidas, Kia Motors, POLO by Ralph Lauren and many others.
Okuda is troubled with the notion of a false sense of freedom, thus depicting human beings as gray shapes with an almost elusive anthropomorphic form. It is in the colorful representation of the shapes when the abstract expression of his work becomes grounded in the reality of our existence. A true urban artist, whose art becomes intelligible on the walls and objects of the urban space. According to Okuda, he is inspired by everything around him, whether it’s coming from the environment or normal everyday things, he is constantly finding motivation. He shows great interest in pop culture, especially film and fashion, and of course, he finds the best things on the road. Travelling gives him an opportunity to hunt for more colors and more shapes. All of his interests shape his style, and when he works, he makes them mix in a perfect collision, and he does that while singing and dancing. Music is essential for Okuda.”
Okuda was born in Santander, Spain on November 19, 1980."
Okuda is troubled with the notion of a false sense of freedom, thus depicting human beings as gray shapes with an almost elusive anthropomorphic form. It is in the colorful representation of the shapes when the abstract expression of his work becomes grounded in the reality of our existence. A true urban artist, whose art becomes intelligible on the walls and objects of the urban space. According to Okuda, he is inspired by everything around him, whether it’s coming from the environment or normal everyday things, he is constantly finding motivation. He shows great interest in pop culture, especially film and fashion, and of course, he finds the best things on the road. Travelling gives him an opportunity to hunt for more colors and more shapes. All of his interests shape his style, and when he works, he makes them mix in a perfect collision, and he does that while singing and dancing. Music is essential for Okuda.”
Okuda was born in Santander, Spain on November 19, 1980."
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