SAO PAULO, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, September 6, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a personal essay about his art, muralist xGuix explains why he joined forces with investigative reporter Ian Urbina to draw attention to human rights and environmental abuses at sea within The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project.

A global effort to disseminate investigative journalism about human exploitation and labor crimes at sea, the project brings together painters from around the world to leverage public creativity with a cause. These paintings are based on the groundbreaking reporting produced by a small, non-profit news outlet based in Washington, D.C., The Outlaw Ocean Project. The organization exposes the urgent problems happening on the earth’s oceans including sea slavery, arms trafficking, the climate crisis and overfishing.

What makes The Outlaw Ocean Project a distinct news organization is three-fold. First, the reporting focuses on the more than 50 million people who work in a realm that covers over two thirds of the planet, but whose stories are rarely told. Second, the news-gathering is funded directly by readers and foundations so that the stories can be published for free in over a half dozen languages and more than three dozen countries, which gives it wide impact. Third, the journalism is targeted toward non-news platforms and a younger and more international audience by converting these stories into art. In turn, individuals are able to connect with the issues on a more visceral level.

The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project is part of this innovation and offers a communal display of nontraditional journalism with unmatched effectiveness.

Artist Guilherme Matsumoto is better known as xGuix. The grandson of Japanese immigrants, his ancestry and life experiences significantly influenced his demeanor, as well as his way of thinking and creating. Growing up in the Vila Monumento neighborhood near the Cambui area, the colorful surroundings, street activity and home-grown graffiti shaped his psyche.

Today, the street artist describes art as, “a great way to connect people on a universal level.”

xGuix’s mural reflects diverse city life, evokes questions and allows spectators to be inspired by his creation.

Contemplating his work on the mural project, the painter finds tremendous value in the synergy between art and journalism. “Both realms convey ideas and communicate a sense of reality, whether it be a positive or negative one,” says xGuix.

xGuix’s mural can be found in São Paulo, Brazil and is called “The Parallel World of the Oceans.”

Media Team
The Outlaw Ocean Project
media@theoutlawocean.com
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xGuix Matsumoto for #TheOutlawOceanMuralProject