Following Art Basel and winter vacations Simon began work on a series of commissioned large scale hand painted murals in Miami’s restaurant/lounge hotspot “El Tucan.”
The restaurant has been around for many years and locals and tourists alike know it for their elaborate cabaret performances. The owners decided to do a full remodel of the massive space, including decor, menu, and nightly entertainment. Simon was contracted to bring his touch of jungle magic realism to 5 walls in the enormous space in bustling Brickell.
After over a month and a half of extra long days and nights the murals were completed and the rest of the renovations along with them.
The restaurant re-opened in March with several extravagant opening events to much fanfare and success. The walls and detailed bar area that Simon worked on were applauded by all who attended.
This was Simon’s largest commission project to date and included an entrance “instagram wall” with cheetah, toucan, and a neon feature. He also completed an impressive lush chinoiserie inspired bar area with 18 ft ceilings that included dozens of toucans perched in treetops surrounding the gigantic rococo crystal chandelier.
The last mural was the largest of the group measuring over 20ft long and depicting an entire jungle scene complete with a white monkey, a crouching jaguar, as well as elaborate vegetation and floral components throughout.
The project was a huge success and has lead to more commissioned murals for Simon and Wolf&Nomad Gallery in the near future.