Bentez rose to ꜰᴀᴍᴇ in the art world via a conventional route and now does paintings specifically for some of the greatest names in sports. The Colombian artist uses glass and crystals to create paintings and other works, embellishing sceneries that honor memorable athletic events.

Under the moniker “Mr. Bling,” he has produced artwork throughout his career for athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Luka Modric, and Lionel Messi.

Mauricio Bentez first gained notoriety ten years ago when, while on a trip to Medelln, he painted a portrait of Lionel Messi. He exploited the rise of networking sites to strengthen the Mr. Bling brand because that endeavor was the first to catch on in social media.

“Messi caused a boom, and then Instagram debuted. I started contacting other celebs and posting what I was doing, he says.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Shakira, two of his clients

The relationship Mr. Bling had with Juan Cuadrado, a fellow countryman who was playing for Juventus at the same time as Cristiano Ronaldo, was exploited. Ronaldo was impressed by the crystal artwork the Colombian winger displayed to him, according to CR7.

“He [Cuadrado] gave Ronaldo my phone number,” says Bentez. T hen he wrote to me and placed an order for some unique items for his family.

 

Bentez created a massive work of art honoring Ronaldo’s amazing goal for Real Madrid versus Juventus in 2018, which earned him the Puskas Award. Following that, Bentez now considers the Portuguese star as one of his dependable clients: “I went to Italy a couple of times, I delivered the works to him, and today I have him among my contacts.”

He recently met with Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior, and Luka Modric at the Valdebebas training facility where Real Madrid athletes train. Each of them received a customized crystal football from Bentez, worth more than $1.1 million.

His clientele is not just limited to the football community. For Shakira’s appearance at the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show, he has also created a microphone. In just the United States, 104 million people watched that program.

What’s next for Mr Bling?

The next significant undertaking for the artist is a partnership with Colombiamoda, a Latin American fashion and apparel expo that will run from July 25–27 in Medelln. While Mr. Bling will be there with his works, his long-term objective is to expand his brand and clientele in the United States.

“I want to crystallize hotel lobbies in Las Vegas,” he declares. “I want to cooperate with prominent artists, have exhibitions on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and be on the covers of well-known magazines. I still have a lot to do.

 

 

 

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