Street artist Youri Cansell, aka Mantra, recently unveiled a stunning new mural, the largest he has ever done, on the rooftop of a building in Miami, Florida. The mural depicts several butterfly species in impressive detail including the endangered Miami Blue species, which is native to South Florida.
The project, curated by art consulting firm Justkids, aims to inspire appreciation for nature and raise awareness about biodiversity conservation.
To create this imposing mural, which spans 35,000 square feet, Mantra needed 400 hours while using 200 gallons of paint. Aside from exclusively using rollers and striving for great detail and precision, the artist also had to overcome various challenges like the unique location, strong winds, and the damp effect caused by the ocean that threatened the piece.
“It’s always a pleasure to paint in Miami, a city that thrives on its mix of people and cultures—much like the butterflies in my mural, which represent a diverse selection of specimens. This is my largest mural to date, and I am excited to see it come to life,” Mantra said in a statement.
The mural is located at the top of Southeast Financial Center in downtown Miami and can be enjoyed best from the top floors of the surrounding buildings. Or you can simply climb on top to examine it up and close.