The picture of two kids playing with a soccer ball is a universal metaphor for feelings of brotherhood and unity, according to the artist.

Cuban artist Maisel López, who is best known for his enormous murals of children’s faces in Cuba, brought his art to Doha, specifically Katara, where he just unveiled his latest mural dedicated to the upcoming World Cup.

The Katara Cultural Village Foundation and the Cuban Embassy in Qatar unveiled the renowned artist’s mural just a few weeks prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The artwork, titled “Cuban and Qatari friends,” was unveiled on Monday.

This piece is a part of the artist’s mural series known as “Sus Colossos,” which was inspired by his childhood. A young Cuban boy and an Arab kid are depicted in this new work holding a football and the flags of their respective nations, to add to the festive mood before the tournament.

The Cuban artist emphasised that the picture of two kids playing with a ball is a universal metaphor for feelings of brotherhood and unity.

After two weeks of lengthy negotiations, the project “came to life thanks to the cultural exchange between both territories,” the artist said, according to the official Prensa Latina. He added that his proposal was chosen from a number of others made by various Cuban artists.

López is a San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts graduate. At the age of 14, he started pursuing his artistic career, and he is currently working as a professor of Plastic Arts at the Municipal House of Culture of Playa.

The creation of this mural received assistance of the Cuban Ministry of Culture and its National Council of Plastic Arts.

Oscar Leon Gonzalez, the Cuban ambassador to Qatar, and Khalid Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, general manager of Katara, officiated the occasion. There were also representatives of the Cuban Medical Staff in Qatar, ambassadors from other nations accredited in Doha, as well as other guests and friends.

The Cuban envoy emphasised that the piece of art shows how two cultures may communicate via their shared love of football. He called attention to the fact that it was inaugurated just a few weeks before the FIFA World Cup, an occasion that will be marked by celebrations of peace, friendship, and unity.

Artist Maisel Lopez Valdés hailed the significance of the cultural exchange between Qatar and Cuba and stated his joy at having the opportunity to create a new mural from his “Colossus” series there.

The unveiling of the painting is one of several events the Cuban Embassy in Qatar is holding to honour Cuban Culture Day.