“Ancient Bird from an Ancient Civilization”

This artwork was inspired by the western swamphen, also known as the "sultana bird," one of the only birds not consumed by the Romans, being regarded as a noble bird that was cared for and kept as a pet. The fire portrays both the destruction as well as the resurrection of the city following the eruption in 79 AD. The pearls in the bird's beak depicts a detail from an ancient mosaic discovered in Pompeii's House of the Faun. As an added detail, we can observe the necklace, which symbolises a link to the ancient missing “Musica”, an indigenous culture in Colombia, the artist's native country. 
 

Julian Santamaria, known as Santa Gross, is a Colombian illustrator and street artist. He's been working on illustration and painting on the streets for over 7 years. He has a distinctive style derived from the use of flat colors that create volumes enriched by contrasting shades and a halftone texture similar to screen printing which, combined with his illustration and compositional skills, achieves a particular style of muralism on large formats. Santa has created murals for both private commissions as well as well-known brands.