Mauro Pallotta, better known as street artist Maupal, has been a familiar name around the Vatican for the past decade due to his whimsical graffiti art featuring Pope Francis as a caped superhero – “Super Pope.” This unique depiction of the pontiff garnered widespread attention a year after Francis was elected in 2013, with the first graffiti art portraying the Pope as a flying, white-capped figure.
In a historic moment, Maupal received an official stamp of approval from the Vatican during a news conference on Thursday. The street artist, sitting alongside Cardinal Michael Czerny, one of Pope Francis’ closest advisers, announced his collaboration with the Vatican on a series of posters illustrating the Pope’s 2024 Lenten message. This year’s Lenten message emphasizes the importance of breaking free from hopelessness and bondage to find a path towards inner freedom.
The series of posters, designed by Maupal, will be released weekly throughout the Lenten season leading up to Easter. Each poster aims to visually capture the essence of Pope Francis’ message in a simple yet profound manner.
While speaking to reporters, Maupal expressed his pride and honor in being asked to depict Francis’ message in art. He explained, “Representing Christian values via art has always been one of the greatest goals of painting and sculpture. I have tried to synthesize the profound concepts expressed by the Holy Father through pictorial language in a simple, easily readable style.”
The first poster released on Thursday depicts Pope Francis walking through a desert field of upturned nails, hauling a wheelbarrow with a heavy sack bearing the word “Faith.” The accompanying text reads, “Through the desert, God leads us to freedom,” echoing the title of the Pope’s Lenten message.
Maupal’s journey into the Vatican’s artistic realm began in 2013 when his graffiti art first appeared on buildings in the Borgo Pio neighbourhood near the Vatican. The initial pieces featured Super Pope, a whimsical take on Hollywood’s Superman, clutching a black satchel with the word “Values” on it. Despite initial attempts by Rome’s “decorum” police to erase the images, they persisted, each iteration embracing Francis’ message even more.
Over the years, Maupal’s status evolved from a street artist challenging the status quo to someone recognized by the Vatican establishment. In 2022, Pope Francis personally met with Maupal, and the collaboration continued, with the street artist contributing to the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
In addition to sharing the stage during the news conference, the Vatican released a short biographic note about Maupal’s art and his outreach efforts in schools and prisons. Maupal’s journey from an unconventional street artist to an officially recognized contributor to the Vatican’s artistic expression reflects a unique convergence of contemporary street art and traditional religious themes. The collaboration marks a significant moment where Pope Francis’ message finds resonance in the colorful strokes of Maupal’s paintbrush.