The art of Antonyo Marest, born in Villena in 1987, continues to draw growing attention across North America. In the United States his work has found persistent audiences in cities like Miami, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Durham, where his Mediterranean sensibility and bold visual language resonate with urban audiences. Freshly returned from a commission in Las Vegas, he engaged with the city’s iconic casino landscape, contributing to a refreshed image for The Strat, a hotel complex famed for its 350‑meter SkyPod tower that punctuates the desert skyline.
It is common for a European painter to be invited to capture the essence of Americana, and Marest became the first European artist to reinterpret a major Las Vegas landmark with four major works that brightened the exterior. The pieces, titled Dancing in the Desert and four other large-scale compositions, each span about two hundred square meters and draw on nocturnal energy, nightlife, celebration, and the city’s signature spirit. Through these works, the artist delves into Las Vegas history and origins, shaping how the district is perceived and experienced by visitors and locals alike.
In a notable shift, Marest did not ascend a crane to spray paint at height, but began this project with digital graphics. Across all four pieces, he employed avant‑garde digital design methods to create scalable works while integrating social elements that animated the scenes. The result is a vibrant fusion of neon glow, architectural motifs, desert flora, dice, playing cards, cocktails, and festive energy. The four works contributed to the Strat’s renovation and reflected a broader urban rebirth in Las Vegas following recent economic challenges and the pandemic, contributing to the city’s ongoing narrative of renewal.
The artist also recalibrated his visual language for Miami, a city where daylight and sunshine previously dominated his street interventions. In this new context, the night life, electricity, and social thrill of Las Vegas informed a more nocturnal, luminous approach suitable for Miami’s own afterdark culture. This adjustment highlights Marest’s ability to translate a city’s tempo into a distinct visual vocabulary while staying true to his Mediterranean roots and distinctive color studies.
With nearly two hundred works created across five continents, Marest’s signature look—bright, optimistic, and richly patterned—continues to extend beyond his Alicante origins. The Mediterranean sunlight and the artist’s personal sensibility have helped him cultivate a global presence, inviting audiences to step into a world where color, rhythm, and spectacle converge. The scenes his paintings portray are not merely decorative; they carry a narrative of celebration, resilience, and communal enjoyment. As cities around the world seek to reclaim public spaces post pandemic, Marest’s work offers a powerful visual language for shared joy and cultural exchange. The city of Las Vegas, in particular, has welcomed this renewed visual dialogue, positioning the artist as a key contributor to the evolving image of one of North America’s most iconic entertainment hubs. He has expressed that his origins and climate foster a daily enthusiasm that he hopes translates into the energy seen in his large‑scale urban works.