The work was created on a mural characterized by an urban art style and a neon aesthetic, executed using graffiti techniques with an expressionist touch, yet incorporating figurative elements. The piece integrates color, light, and a sensory dimension that enhances the viewer’s experience.
In this piece, you’ll see a part of me: as an artist, but also as a student over the past three years. I’m going to revisit who I was back then and thank her for everything she did to bring us to where we are today; ultimately, this mural will be a conversation with myself.
Lucius and Lucifer: The Angel and the Devil
For the mural project, the graphic designer decided to work with the concepts of Lucius and Lucifer, two characters she created at age 19 while studying graphic design, representing the angel and the devil, respectively.
However, in Verdías’ mural, they are not depicted literally: Lucius takes the form of an astronaut, while Lucifer is portrayed as a jellyfish.
The thing about jellyfish is that, when you see them, they’re pretty, eye-catching, and very colorful; but when Lucius gets tangled up in their tentacles, it’s like drowning in dark thoughts, without realizing when you lost control.
Despite the clash between angel and demon that symbolizes his work, the process of spray-painting the mural involved a conversation with God:
I pray and give thanks to that higher power I call God. Then I tell Him that I am the instrument He chose to do this, and ask Him to give me all the tools and inspiration I need so that I can let it all go.
In addition, the artist incorporated hidden inspirational messages into the mural—even within the drawings themselves—designed to encourage viewers to get up close and discover them, so they can take away a message from the work.
The opportunity to represent ORT
Paz was invited to paint at the food festival on behalf of ORT, and for the artist, it was an opportunity to give back to the organization for everything it had done for her:
I automatically said yes because ORT is my home, and I felt that painting the mural was a way to give back everything they’ve given me during the years I’ve been there and continue to be a student there.
The artist also took the opportunity to use the mural as a means for ORT to carry out a disruptive artistic project as a way of leaving its mark. The project, in turn, was a way of representing what it means to be a student at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
During his studies for a bachelor's degree in graphic design, he learned to cultivate creativity and freedom, but above all, he learned how to work with clients and deal with frustration:
Art is a very complex subject. When you create art for a client, in a way it ceases to be entirely your own and becomes someone else’s as well; so it means putting yourself in their shoes and looking at the work from the client’s perspective.
As a student in the Bachelor’s program in Design, Art, and Technology, she plans to expand her practice into interdisciplinary areas, exploring ways to integrate her work with music, video mapping, and other forms of audiovisual fusion to create live performances.
Learn more about theBachelor's Degree in Graphic Designand theBachelor's Degree in Design, Art, and Technology