Latin American Mona Lisa

A vibrant 13‑meter mural made from more than 100,000 recycled bottle caps now transforms an apartment building in Zacamil, Mejicanos (El Salvador). Created by Venezuelan artist Oscar Olivares together with CMS Foundation, Full Painting, and Asonares, the work reimagines the Mona Lisa as a modern Latin American icon. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and the pointillist techniques of Paul Signac, Olivares replaces paint with caps collected, washed, and sorted by local residents over several months.

This is the artist’s 47th bottle‑cap mural and his tallest to date, part of a technique he began developing in 2019–2020 after years focused on digital art. For each project, Olivares first draws the full composition using a grid, then applies a cement‑and‑glue mixture section by section to attach the caps. A UV‑protective coating ensures the colors remain vivid for years.

The mural’s warm palette, sun‑kissed face, and colorful background of homes and mountains celebrate Latin American identity while giving new life to plastic waste. Rising in a neighborhood once marked by gang violence, the artwork stands as a symbol of renewal, community effort, and the creative potential hidden in everyday materials.