okuda san miguel covers kindergarten in arcugnano, italy with playful faces

okuda san miguel covers kindergarten in arcugnano, italy with playful faces
all images courtesy of okuda san miguel

in the town of arcugnano — a small city in northern italy located an hour’s drive from the heart of venice — okuda san miguel has painted five murals across the façade of the local kindergarten. as part of his participation in the third edition of art in the streets project, okuda and his assistant antonyo marest have realized a sequence of playful faces and figures on the school’s exterior walls. some of the artworks interact with their surrounding architectural context, like using window frames as eyes; others reference motifs found throughout neighboring towns in the region, like the lion of san marco — the symbol of the city of venice. abstract interpretations of these visual icons have been meticulously painted on the outdoor walls facing children, teachers and parents as they approach the school, further connecting it to the town and its inhabitants. in okuda’s quintessential style of bold geometric shapes, vibrant colors and combination of animal and human elements, the large-scale piece reflects both the artist’s own traditions and the culture of the local landscape. 

‘opposite mirror’ features a face with window frames as eyes 

‘flying cages’ 

a vibrantly colored bird seemingly flies off the front of the kindergarten in italy  

‘san marco’s lion’ refers to the symbol of nearby venice 

‘murano star’ comprises colorful geometric shapes 

a saturated red hue forms the backdrop of ‘murano star’

‘spherical eyes’ — three windows form the eyes of two animal figures 

‘spherical eyes’ in progress on site in arcugnano

‘maiagatto di vicenza’ 

the hybrid animal is pictured on a bright yellow backdrop 

a colorful beacon stands at the center of ‘piazzetta okuda san miguel’ 

the local kindergarten captured in its entirely after okuda’s painting 

the small city in northern italy is located an hour’s drive from the heart of venice