Salvadoran Mona Lisa

What began as thousands of discarded bottle caps became something much greater: a 43-foot mural created by Venezuelan artist Oscar Olivares, recognized as the largest artwork of its kind made from recycled materials. At its center is the portrait of a Central American woman, whom Olivares calls a “Latin American Mona Lisa.” Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic masterpiece, Olivares reimagines the idea of a cultural icon, not from the Italian Renaissance, but from a new Latin American Renaissance one rooted in identity, resilience, creativity, and renewal.

"I wanted to portray a Latin American Mona Lisa," Olivares told AFP. 

The mural is in Zacamil, in the Mejicanos suburb of San Salvador – an area that was once controlled by violent gangs, whose activity has been curbed by President Nayib Bukele's controversial security crackdown. (AFP, 2026)

"The Mona Lisa is an ordinary woman, and she's an icon of the Italian Renaissance" - and now "we are living through a new Renaissance, both in El Salvador and the world," (Olivares, 2026)

Completed in three weeks, the composition is made of more than 100,000 recycled bottle caps, after they were gathered by local residents over several months, washed and sorted. And it wouldn't be the Mona Lisa without her penetrating gaze and that ever-elusive smile, this time seen on a sun-kissed face rendered with red, orange and yellow caps. Her jewelry, hairstyle and colorful dress evoke a modern Latina woman's graces. (AFP, 2026)

I think the idea behind Oscar Olivares’ mural is beautiful. There is something poetic about the idea of El Salvador experiencing what feels like a new renaissance. Although President Bukele and his government have been the subject of controversy and criticism, there is no denying that El Salvador has experienced a dramatic change in security and how its streets are experienced. To me, it feels especially meaningful that this mural was made from recycled plastic caps that the community helped collect and clean. Where gang territorial graffiti once marked these streets, there is now something created for the community to enjoy and connect with. And at the center of it all is a woman who looks like me and so many of the women I love. I think there is something powerful about seeing women who look like us represented as something beautiful, important, and worthy of being remembered. This is the feeling and message I would like my work to exude.

References

Roya News English. (2026, Feb 22) Venezuelan artist builds 13-meter-high mural using recycled bottle caps. [Video] Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KPgJtP4Nzs

AFP. (2026, February 21). El Salvador mural reimagines the Mona Lisa with recycled plastic caps. The Tico Times.https://ticotimes.net/2026/02/21/el-salvador-mural-reimagines-the-mona-lisa-with-recycled-plastic-caps

France 24. (2026, February 22). Artist creates Latin American Mona Lisa with plastic bottle caps.https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260222-artist-creates-latin-american-mona-lisa-with-plastic-bottle-caps