Blurring the lines between reality and illusion in street art is Peeta’s specialty. You could stand right in front of one of his creations, gazing up at its proportions with your own eyes, and still barely be able to tell which elements are three-dimensional and which aren’t. His latest works are just as incredible as ever, transforming the facades of buildings in Mannheim, Germany; Padua, Italy; Costa Smeralda, Sardinia; Lisbon, Portugal and more.
Typically designed to meld with a vivid blue sky, his creations are best viewed on a bright and sunny day, though some can be found in shady niches as well. His mastery of light and shadow creates voids and projections where there are none. His ability to craft convincing abstract shapes is likely aided by the fact that he’s a sculptor, too, shaping and painting aluminum.
Last time we caught up with Peeta (aka Manuel Di Rita), who’s based in Venice, Italy, he was fresh off a spate of multi-story murals that showcased a tremendous growth on his talents. Throughout 2019, he’s been hard at work, his newest project a composition of pale blue and gray on a private residential building created as part of the Stadt.Wand.Kunst mural project.
“The wait is finally over. Under the blue sky and with temperatures that you would rather sit in the shade, movement has come in the past few days in STADT.WAND.KUNST 2019 – in the truest sense of the word. The Venetian artist Manuel Di Rita, aka PEETA , braved the heat and transformed the facade of a private house in the Zehntstr. 1 to a masterpiece. The picture – which should rather be called an oversized sculpture because of its three-dimensionality – is the start of a new, colorful season of large-format murals in the Mannheim urban area.”
“I loved this building since the beginning and I tried my best to combine multidisciplinary skills to transform it while keeping its original taste,” says Peeta on Instagram. “Thanks to the city of Mannheim and the great people that supported and worked on this project.”
Check out more on Instagram @peeta_ead.
