Bogotá.- A huge bronze sculpture of the Colombian singer Shakira was unveiled in recognition of her artistic career in her hometown of Barranquilla, in the Colombian Caribbean, during an intimate meeting with family and friends close to the artist.
The work, a 6.50 meter high bronze sculpture made by the plastic artist Yino Márquez and more than 30 workers, was presented the day before to the parents of the artist William Mebarak and Nadia Ripolli by the Mayor of Barranquilla, Jaime Pumarejo Heins.
“With this sculpture, Barranquilla residents will feel more proud of our cultural reference, closer to her, and she will receive a tribute from the city that she loves so much,” Mayor Pumarejo said in a statement.
“I feel deeply honored by this recognition from my hometown. That they wanted to immortalize me in bronze is a gesture that I will always carry in my heart. Barranquilla is and will forever be my home, it is the land where I was born and where my artistic dreams were born,” Shakira expressed enthusiastically.
The mayor, during the handover ceremony to the parents of the singer from Barranquilla, stated that this sculpture is also a tribute of inspiration for young people: “Showing millions of girls that it is possible, that you can pursue your dreams and that any of them can achieve whatever they want.”
Shakira “showed that Barranquilla and the Caribbean are incredible. And that is why today we pay tribute to her and she, among others, one of the things she told me is that she wanted you to be part of this beautiful moment because it is also your work, you did a lot so that she could have today the success it has.”
For her part, Mrs. Nidia Ripoll, mother of the artist, upon seeing the work unveiled, expressed her enthusiasm for the recognition of her daughter and her career that she has managed to exalt the land of the loves of. she.
“My mother is as excited as I am about this recognition that she receives on her birthday and it becomes the best gift. She represents the wonderful heart of the people of Barranquilla, who with joy receive this monument on the banks of the Magdalena River,” he added. Shakira.
The work was executed in bronze and preserves a wheat tone in the skin and hair; Furthermore, at the end of the sculpture the artist’s skirt becomes waves made of aluminum that was then covered with an enamel varnish to prevent the weather from destroying it.
“To make this sculpture we first began modeling it in clay, then we made a mold in silicone and fiberglass, and in the end we cast it in bronze. It is a cast in bronze and parts in aluminum,” said the artist Yino Márquez, who He explained that with his work he sought to convey that Shakira is a river and is a sea.
“Building a symbology that allows us to observe in it the concept of transcendence, being vertical with our arms raised and holding a light in our hands allows us to symbolize transcendence. The waves are made of aluminum to give more strength to the symbology that I want to express,” said the artist.
Specifically, the sculpture is located in functional unit 3 of the Gran Malecón, which is currently 80% complete, so public access is expected to be fully enabled in the first quarter of 2024. Likewise, In parallel, civil, water, and electrical works are advancing. In addition, landscaping will be done in the new setting.
Notistarz/ Photo / Press / Shakira
