Meet Mr Bling, the Colombian artist working with Ronaldo, Messi and Modric
Mauricio Benítez uses crystals to create custom-made pieces for some of the biggest stars in the world.
“I am a dreamer, an entrepreneur who has been in the process for 20 years,” Colombian artist Mauricio Benítez, tells AS Colombia.
“I am empirical because I did not study any specific career. It is simply a mental enterprise because everything is created with the mind.”
Benítez has taken an usual path to stardom in the art world and now creates custom-made pieces for some of the biggest names in football. The Colombian artist makes paintings and other work using glass and crystals, creating bedazzled scenes that commemorate great sporting moments.
During his career he has created art for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Luka Modric and Lionel Messi under the name ‘Mr Bling’.
Mauricio Benítez first shot to fame a decade ago when he produced a painting of Lionel Messi during a visit to Medellín. That effort was the first to gain traction on social media and he used the growth of networking sites to build on the Mr Bling brand.
“There was the boom with Messi, then Instagram started. I started posting what I was doing and reaching out to other celebrities,” he explains.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Shakira, two of his clients
Mr Bling took advantage of his connection with his compatriot Juan Cuadrado, who was playing for Juventus at the same time as Cristiano Ronaldo. The Colombian winger showed examples of his crystal artwork to CR7 and Ronaldo liked what he saw.
“He [Cuadrado] gave Ronaldo my phone number,” Benítez explains. “Then he wrote to me and ordered some special pieces for his family.”
Benítez produced a huge piece of art depicting Ronaldo’s spectacular strike against Juventus for Real Madrid that won him the Puskas Award in 2018. After that, Benítez now counts the Portuguese star among his long-term 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 visited Real Madrid players at the Valdebebas training centre, meeting with Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Luka Modric. Benítez brought them each a personalized crystal football valued at more than $1.1 million.
His clients are not restricted to the world of football. He has also made a microphone for Shakira for the singer’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance in 2020. That show was watched by 104 million viewers in the United States alone.
What’s next for Mr Bling?
The artist’s next major project is a collaboration with Latin American fashion and clothing event Colombiamoda, which will take place from 25 to 27 July in Medellín. Mr Bling will be there alongside his creations but his long-term goal is to grow his brand and his client base in the United States.
“I want to crystallize hotel lobbies in Las Vegas,” he says. “I want showcases on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, to collaborate with great artists, to appear on covers of famous magazines. I have many more things to do.”