I discovered this stunning mural while walking around downtown Ft. Lauderdale. It is on the west façade of Broward College across from NSU Art Museum. Rebirth was commissioned by Cirque du Soleil to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alegría.
The mural was created by artist Ernesto Maranje, a Cuban-American artist born in Chicago, Illinois in 1983 and raised in Miami, Florida. He discovered his interest in art at 27 while serving in the Coast Guard. The subjects of his murals focus on flora and fauna, biological evolution, and plant and animal relationships. Maranje has created murals all over the United States and abroad.
For the mural Rebirth, Maranje worked with the curators Twenty6North Productions during Fort Lauderdale's Art and Design Week in 2020. The mural was inspired by the Cirque du soleil show Alegría. It depicts a performer dressed as a phoenix with wings outstretched. The mural is meant to convey the unity of plants and animals and the relationship that all living things share. I love the subject and colors and it looks especially nice lit up at night. read more