Guayaquil artist Leonardo Hidalgo will provide a ‘neopop’ portrait of footballer Lionel Messi

Messi’s arrival in Miami was the event of the yearfar beyond the sporting implications arising from his inclusion in the team inter miamiowned by another football star, David Beckham.

Socially and in the entertainment world, the presence of the Argentinian star in that Florida city has had one of the greatest media impacts on the lives of Americans. Gringo celebrities, who were not that close to football, considered the king of the sport (because the heart of Americans belongs more to American football) fly to the stadiums just to see the ‘Flea’ do what he is good at: kicking the ball and scoring goals with unique ease.

Guayaquil artist Leonardo Hidalgo feels on “top of the world” for his next exhibition at the Formula 1 event in Miami

Infected by Messi fever, for which there is currently no cure, the artist is from Guayaquil Leonardo Hidalgoliving in Miami since the 1990s, has produced a painting depicting the soccer player wearing his signature neopop stamp, vibrant and excited, which may well boost the energy of many North Americans who enjoy the striker’s games live to summarize.

“Since his arrival in Miami and in his first game, everything has gone well for Messi. It is a phenomenon that never ends. Ticket sales here are crazy and the stadiums are filling up. That’s why I made this work,” the author explains over the phone from the “magic city,” as Miami is known. It is Hidalgo’s intention to personally hand over this painting, 40 by 40 inches (1×1 meter) in his hands, to Lionel Messi at a meeting that will take place before the end of this week.

Similarly, the Ecuadorian artist has created a limited collection of World Cup trophies that he hopes will catch the attention of the footballer. “The biggest celebrity I’ve painted in my life is Lionel Messi. And she’s the most difficult celebrity I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.” Hidalgo’s energetic brush also portrayed Ecuadorian footballer Leonardo Campana, who also plays for the team of the Herons (so called because of the pink on their shirts), and Beckham himself.

Leonardo Hidalgo’s latest dream, he says, is for his art to be seen as a decoration for Freedom Park, the new stadium Inter Miami is building for Lionel Messi. “This is one of the most important meetings of my career,” says the creative with enthusiasm.

Throughout his artistic career, Hidalgo has been recognized for painting celebrity portraits using the same technique (acrylic on canvas). The first was the supermodel Niki Taylor, in 1992, who, according to the Ecuadorian, put it on the cover of his press kit. Over the years he has portrayed different characters such as politics Hillary Clinton; the president of Haiti Michel Martelly; the singers Mark Anthony, Alejandro Sanzand popular characters, such as the Jesus from the movie Passion of Christa work now in the hands of the actor who played him, the American Jim Caviezel.

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