MANTRA'S ROOFTOP IN MIAMI
Public Art
Client: SEFC Miami
Location: Miami, Florida, USA
Artist: Mantra
Scope: Art consulting, Artist Representation, Curation, and Production
Justkids was appointed by Southeast Financial Center to curate Miami’s largest rooftop mural, a breathtaking 35,000 square foot artwork by internationally renowned French artist Mantra, also known as Youri Cansell.
Mantra, celebrated for his hyper-realistic trompe-l’oeil style, brings his signature butterflies to SEFC’s rooftop with dazzling accuracy. The mural features vibrant species, including the endangered 'Miami Blue,' native to South Florida. His lifelike renderings, both stunning and scientifically accurate, often depict specimens as if in exhibit cases—a poignant commentary on lost biodiversity. Mantra has a unique talent to celebrate the small, essential parts of ecosystems, in public space, bringing attention to their beauty and importance. By depicting these creatures on a monumental scale with such precise detail, he inspires appreciation for nature and reminds us of the need to protect it.
This massive public art piece took over 400 hours to complete, using 200 gallons of paint and marks the artist's largest project in scale to-date. Mantra worked exclusively with rollers, without the use of grids or projections, achieving remarkable precision on such a grand scale and showcasing an exceptional level of freehand technique. The unique challenges of the location, including strong winds and morning dampness from the nearby ocean, added complexity to the project, which was completed over approximately six weeks.
It’s always a pleasure to paint in Miami, a city that thrives on its vibrant mix of people and cultures—much like the butterflies in my mural, which represent a diverse selection of specimens. This is my largest mural to date, and I am excited to see it come to life. I am grateful to Southeast Financial Center for giving me the space to create something of this magnitude. — Mantra
Located in Downtown Miami, SEFC’s mural commission not only transforms a garage rooftop into a vibrant visual experience for tenants and occupants of surrounding residential and commercial towers but also underscores SEFC’s role in elevating Downtown Miami as a hub for cultural innovation.
Press links about this project:
Designboom https://www.designboom.com/art/mantra-signature-lifelike-butterflies-miami-largest-rooftop-mural-justkids-07-01-2024/
thisiscolossal.com https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/01/mantra-miami-mural/Thursd.com https://thursd.com/articles/mantra-butterfly-murals
HypeBeast.com https://www.instagram.com/p/DEErQoZNErQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
BrooklynStreetArt.com https://www.brooklynstreetart.com/2025/01/07/mantra-revitalizes-miami-with-stunning-rooftop-mural/
SecretMiami.com https://secretmiami.com/mantra-butterfly-mural-sefc/
TheNextMiami.com https://www.thenextmiami.com/miamis-largest-office-tower-has-a-giant-new-rooftop-butterfly-mural/
Collater.al https://www.collater.al/en/mantra-miami-mural-sefc-art/
ArteSky.it https://arte.sky.it/news/2025/mantra-murale-miami
Conocedores.com https://conocedores.com/este-es-el-mural-en-un-rooftop-mas-grande-de-miami-85084
Streetartcities.com https://streetartcities.com/markers/573a5779-82ec-47bf-9a7d-ed7186c6d94c
@hypeart https://www.instagram.com/hypeart/p/DEDcTGBOxC3/?img_index=1
ELLE Italia https://www.instagram.com/p/DEj3tH3PeKR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Haper’s Bazar Italia https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEkkUpVgSOF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Estudio Arquitectos https://estudioarquitectos.cl/2025/01/07/mantra-trae-sus-emblematicas-mariposas-realistas-al-mural-en-la-azotea-mas-grande-de-miami/
TheCultivist.com https://www.instagram.com/p/DEcahupoZ57/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
@thejealouscurator https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEGHT8MTgT8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
GraffitiStreet.com https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEDUFAlOu64/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
@streetartpedia https://www.instagram.com/p/DEB3RgCszUf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==