Anyone who follows street art is sure to have come across the name Kobra at some point in time. Originally from Sao Paulo, he is known for painting large kaleidoscopic photorealistic images, often depicting famous people or recognizable themes. A superstar in his own country, in recent years he has traveled abroad frequently, creating large compositions on buildings in major cities across the globe in his iconic style. Recently though, with Brazil being particularly hard-hit by this world pandemic, the places where he works, creates, and finds inspiration are increasingly off-limits as public lockdowns prohibit people from being outside in the streets for much of the day.
Cut off from his ability to work on large murals, Kobra decided to paint a small mural indoors that he calls “Coexistence.” The piece depicts children from all 5 of the world’s major religions joined together in prayer to overcome the suffering brought about by this worldwide plague. The message is one of unity, urging people to put aside their differences and to focus on our common humanity. His hope is that once restrictions are lifted and the situation seems safe again, he will be able to create a full-size rendition somewhere in the world.
Wanting to ease the situation for people in his country, Kobra also set up a charity to feed the homeless by auctioning off prints of his mural to help raise funds for basic meals for people on the street who must find it especially difficult during these times to survive in such harsh conditions