Stunning home mural has been capturing hearts
It’s a little bit of Brazil in the heart of Sydney!
A huge 20 x 15 metre mural of Christ the Redeemer visible for kilometres has been painted in a glass-fronted home in Rodd Point, evangelising to all who see it.
While not quite attracting the 2 million pilgrims who annually flock to the statue overlooking the Rio de Janeiro city, it has become quite the tourist attraction around the popular Bay Run.
Only completed a week ago, already the mural painted by popular Sydney spray painter Danny Mulyono is attracting scores of cyclists, runners, joggers, walkers and parents with prams stopping to take photos around the clock. Social media platforms have been inundated with posts about the incredible painting, with TikTok attracting more than 10,000 Likes, 700 shares and 400 comments in just four days.
“Brought me to tears touching my soul so deeply,” someone posted while others noted “OMG so beautiful”; “I’m Muslim but wallah that’s beautiful”; and “Absolutely breathtaking”.
Home owner Lulu Kazzi said she felt so blessed to be able to share her Catholic faith in such a public and positive way. The accidental evangelist said she couldn’t believe the huge impact the giant mural had made on her local community and of people of all denominations.
“it’s so lovely seeing Christ looking down on everyone and looking after us” – home owner Lulu Kazzi
“I have always loved the statue, it’s so lovely seeing Christ looking down on everyone and looking after us,” she said. “When we decided to rebuild our home I thought the wall was the perfect canvas for it, but I never dreamt it would cause such a sensation, people just love it.
“We have people stopping outside all the time, taking photos and talking about it, I guess we are evangelising without even knowing. While I have many statues in my home of Mary and other saints, the painting of Christ the Redeemer has taken our faith to the next level. And interestingly it is appealing to all faiths, we have had Christians and Muslims alike commenting on how much they love it.”
The striking black and white mural also features both Lulu and her husband Peter’s fathers who both passed away in the past few years and who they are determined to always remember.
Talented artist Danny Mulyono, who is now receiving requests for his work from around the world, said it was both a challenge and an honour to recreate the famous statue on such a huge platform.
Sitting atop the Corcovado Mountain, Christ the Redeemer is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable monuments in the world. Construction of the statue took nine years, beginning in 1922 at a cost of $250,000 US. It’s one of the largest statues of Jesus in the world, standing 30 metres high and boasts an arm span of 28 metres.
Over the years it has undergone periodic repairs and renovations, including a thorough cleaning in 1980, in preparation for the visit of Pope John Paul II.
Escalators and panoramic elevators were added in 2002; previously, in order to reach the statue itself, tourists climbed more than 200 steps as the last stage of the trip.
In 2006, to mark the statue’s 75th anniversary, a chapel at its base was consecrated to Our Lady of Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil.
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