FORGET Banksy, this Colombian artist is the real deal.
Mauricio Benitez, better known as Mr Bling, has been creating celebrity portraits made out of Swarovski crystals since 2010, after initially experimenting with bejeweled clothing.
Meet Mr Bling, a Colombian artist who produces artwork for footballers made from crystalsCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Bling, real-name Mauricio Benitez, rose to fame in 2013 after creating a portrait of Lionel MessiCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
He received worldwide acclaim three years later, when a glitzy piece he gifted Barcelona legend Lionel Messi went viral, and was claimed to be worth £34million.
Since then, the greatest names in football have commissioned Mr Bling artwork, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, David Beckham, Ronaldinho, and Diego Maradona – some paying up to £150,000 for the privilege.
SunSport spoke with the Medellin-based Benitez, who revealed Messi was the first footballer he worked with – and says Ronaldo has THREE of his artworks.
Incredibly, the Argentinian got his portrait for FREE.
£34MILLION PORTRAIT
“Messi was visiting Medellin in 2013 for a charity game called the Battle of the Stars,” Benitez explained.
“The artwork was a gift, because I admire him so much and I wanted to give him something for being one of the best soccer players in the world.
“It had around 150,000 Swarovski crystals, and it took me 30 days to make.
“He didn’t pay anything for it, but when the story leaked online there was a report it was worth $50million.
“That news went around the world, and helped put my name on the map for sports stars.”
‘I WAS SHOCKED RONALDO CONTACTED ME’
Cristiano Ronaldo contacted Mr Bling on Instagram personallyCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Ronaldo had a Swarovski crystal portrait made of his famous overhead kickCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Ronaldo also commissioned a family portrait for his mumCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Footballers like Ronaldo are spending up to £150,000 on Mr Bling’s artworkCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Messi’s Ballon d’Or rival Cristiano Ronaldo has also been a loyal customer, requesting three pieces from Benitez.
The Juventus star reached out to Mr Bling personally on WhatsApp after meeting the artist with team-mate Juan Cuadrado.
“Ronaldo contacted me on WhatsApp and told me he wanted a family portrait made with crystals in 2018,” he said.
“He sent me the images he wanted me to make, and I started working on them with the changes he wanted.
“To be honest, I was shocked that he contacted me personally.
“One of his pieces was the overhead kick he scored for Real Madrid against Juventus.
“This work is seven-and-half feet tall, and has around 250,000 crystals on it.
“The other two pieces I did for him were family portraits, and I think one of those is in his mother’s house.”
BRAZILIAN HISTORY
Not one to miss out, PSG star Neymar spied Mr Bling’s work on Instagram, and wanted a piece of the action too.
It was a member of the Brazilian’s entourage who made the connection first, before Benitez got to work on a special commission.
Mr Bling said: “They wanted me to make a soccer ball with crystals in honour of his career.
Neymar Jr has since become a customer of Mr Bling’sCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Neymar had a special Brazilian football made to honour his career
“It included team badges, as well as special dates that were meaningful to the Brazilian national team, and I personally delivered the ball to him in Brazil last summer.
“Neymar told me that he saw my art on Instagram and liked it immediately.
“I’m currently working on a project for him now – it’s a family portrait he wanted that I can’t wait to show off.”
MR BLING’S FAVOURITE
A piece close to Mr Bling’s heart was a commission he received from Colombian star Fredy Guarin, formerly of Inter Milan.
“It’s the piece I’m most proud of,” Benitez told us.
“I incorporated over 200,000 crystals into the design, which was pretty complicated, and it measured six-and-a-half feet high.
“He was wearing his Inter Milan colours, his squad number 13 was on show, and I had to take into account his tattoos too.
“What was cool about it was that those individual details really stand out from the wall in the portrait.”
Mr Bling’s favourite piece featured Colombian footballer Fredy GuarinCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
FOOTBALLERS’ SPENDING POWER
On average, Mr Bling believes footballers are spending between £80,000-£150,000, depending on what they want done.
“I can work with different types and brand of crystals that can lower or increase the prices,” he said.
“But my art is 100% handmade, putting the crystals on the canvas one-by-one and using the different colours to create impressive textures and images.
“The price range may cost as much as $200,000, in some cases.”
And Mr Bling revealed when working with footballers, if you look after them, they will also look after you.
Their trust builds up the more Benitez works with them.
“I do have some signed shirts from players I’ve worked with in Medellin,” he said.
Diego Maradona shows off his crystalised 1986 World Cup footballCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Ronaldinho meets Mr Bling to receive his Brazilian themed crystal footballCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Paul Pogba has been immortalised in artwork by Mr BlingCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Golden balls David Beckham is a recipient of a crystal ball that commemorates his time at Real MadridCredit: Instagram @mrblingcolombia
Also, other times I’ve had the opportunity to see them play, but it all depends on the work schedule I have or we have.
Often, meetings with the best players are quick, they generally have a very limited time and it is important to be on time for the client.
“If they’re happy, then we begin to forge a friendship.
“After that, the meetings are a bit more relaxed and they are more comfortable to share their time with you.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
