Alejandro Cruces del Puerto (Madrid, 27 years old), known as ACROOX, has left his artistic mark in Salou by winning the fourth edition of the Mural Painting Contest. His work, titled 'Abriendo los ojos', can be admired on one of the walls of Platja Llarga and was created between September 5th and 10th.
Since 2019, Cruces has dedicated himself professionally to muralism, participating in urban art contests and developing projects in public and private spaces. His works seek a dialogue between painting and the environment, using his architectural background to transform spaces with color, shapes, and the unique identity of each place. Chromatic and formal contrast is a distinctive feature of his artistic style.
“"I feel very fortunate. It's my first time visiting Salou, and I had already heard great things about the city. I came with friends, and during these days, we took the opportunity to discover places like Cap Salou, Platja Llarga, and the pine forest area. I found it to be a very beautiful environment, especially the area near the viewpoint."
The inspiration for the mural came from the natural surroundings of Platja Llarga and the pine forest area. Cruces decided to depict local birds from the area's forests, such as the crested tit and the long-tailed tit, themes that often appear in his works.
The artist works exclusively with spray paint, a technique he adopted after starting with graffiti. He aims to create contrasts between the realistic part of the artwork and the backgrounds, playing with shadows and depth to generate a sense of three-dimensional relief.
His architectural training has influenced his understanding of murals, particularly the creative aspect. Although he started with painting classes as a child, his passion for graffiti led him to professional muralism.
Cruces highlights the importance of contests like this in bringing streets to life and welcomes the rise of urban art projects in various municipalities. The winning mural measures approximately 1.70 meters in height by 10 meters in width and is protected with resistant exterior solvent-based paint.
The experience in Salou has been very positive, also taking the opportunity to enjoy the Festa del Rei Jaume and explore the area. Cruces is grateful for the opportunity and takes away fond memories of the city.
