Eduardo Kobra, also known as Kobra, is a Brazilian street artist known for his large, colorful murals. Born in 1975 in the poor neighborhood of Jardim Martinica in Sao Paulo, Kobra has become one of the most recognized muralists of his time, with works on five continents. In 2016, he set the world record for the largest graffiti mural with “Etnias,” painted to celebrate the Rio Olympics, which measured 2,500 square meters. He broke his own record in 2017 with a mural honoring chocolate that covered a wall of 5,742 square meters along the Castello Branco Highway in the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo.

One of Kobra’s most famous works is “The Kiss,” which was executed in 2012 on the High Line in New York City. The piece was a colorful reinterpretation of a photograph taken by American photojournalist Alfred Eisenstaedt on August 13, 1945, when people took to the streets to celebrate the end of World War II. Unfortunately, the mural was erased four years later.

Kobra began drawing on walls illegally as a teenager. He was already passionate about street art, and he collected warnings for unauthorized interventions at school. He was even arrested three times for environmental crimes, specifically for the improper use of spray paint on nearby walls.

In the 1990s, Kobra began working as a poster designer, painting toy sets, and creating decorative images for events at Brazil’s largest amusement park. It was the first time he had earned money from his art. The job was successful, and he was invited to work for other companies and advertising agencies.

Kobra’s urban art began to gain visibility in the following decade. In 2007, he first gained media attention for his Muro das Memórias project, in which he delved into the world of old photographs of Sao Paulo and reproduced them on the streets in sepia tones or black and white. This project became a signature of Kobra’s work and laid the foundation for much of what was to come.

Kobra has become an avid researcher of historical images, and his predilection for depicting them on giant murals has often served to rescue the importance of places and strengthen the sense of belonging of their inhabitants.

Self-taught, Kobra admits that he learned and developed his art by observing the work of artists he admires, such as the mysterious British street artist Banksy and American artists Eric Grohe and Keith Haring. Today, Kobra continues to create stunning murals that are admired by people around the world.