MIAMI -- In the vibrant neighborhood of Wynwood, known worldwide for its colorful murals, are four graffiti portraits of baseball players who contributed to the culture and diversity of American sports: Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle and José Fernández.
Next to La Casa de los Trucos on Calle Ocho stands a mural of Gloria and Emilio Estefan with the same colors and vivid style.
These portraits and others scattered throughout Miami look like oil paintings on brick and concrete walls in neighborhoods where their depictions carry great meaning. Behind each one is a Hispanic artist whose love for traditional art is reflected in Miami’s urban street art. His artistic name is Disem.
A graffiti artist from a Panamanian, Colombian and Italian family, and raised in Kendall, Disem leaves a piece of Miami wherever he goes. He grew up in a family of artists and art played a major role in his education and style. His parents met at an art school, so it could be said his love for art existed before he was born.
As for the name he chose to work under, he was inspired by his childhood nickname that he received when playing basketball.
“When I was younger, I had a little afro, and I used to play basketball. So the kids at the park started calling me ‘Disco’,” he said, refusing to reveal his real name and age.
However, he soon learned that there was another graffiti artist in the Washington, D.C., area who also called himself “Disco” or “Cool Disco Dan”.
Disem, in studying his work, admired his style, but did not want to use the same name out of respect.
Portraits of famous baseball players
Yunel Escobar, former shortstop for the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays and more, commissioned Disem to do some portraits of baseball players in Wynwood. For his project, he wanted to display the diversity in baseball, but also wanted to honor the neighborhood and community in Wynwood.
“We wanted to do something for the community. I interviewed many artists, but since he is from here, speaks Spanish and is recognized globally, we hired him,” Escobar said.
They made the decision together for the four players they would add; Jackie Robinson, for leading the way for players of color in the 1940s during segregation; Roberto Clemente, the first Latino baseball player to collect 3,000 hits, and to honor the historically Puerto Rican community in Wynwood; Mickey Mantle, an iconic Yankee; and José Fernández, a Cuban-American and beloved Marlins pitcher who tragically passed away in 2016.
Latino Heritage
On Calle Ocho, Disem worked with Kcull, a nonprofit organization that works to preserve Latin American heritage through art.
Walter Santiago, the founder of Kcull, wanted a portrait of Gloria Estefan, an emblematic Cuban-American artist who has been a symbol of self-improvement and success in Miami. After contacting Disem, they decided that they would also include her husband, the famous musician and producer Emilio Estefan.
“To me, that piece was about somebody who was raised in Miami, who had the same opportunities as everybody else, and just hustled through blood, sweat, and tears,” Disem said, “That’s why there’s blood on that portrait. There’s tears on that portrait. There’s sweat on that portrait to represent the struggle and what you could achieve if you overcome and you’re committed.”
Gloria Estefan went to Instagram after seeing it for herself, calling it an “honor.”
Santiago said he will be working with Disem again for another project in Little Havana that will hopefully be unveiled by the end of the year. The mural will be in collaboration with both Disem and Puerto Rican graffiti artist Don Rimx.
As much as he appreciates and enjoys portraits, his favorite piece is a mural he painted on the exterior of Survival, a clothing boutique in downtown Miami.
“I think aesthetically it’s a nice piece, but at the same time, there are a lot of messages there where the bullets raining from the sky represent the violence that is created through people pursuing materialistic things,” he said.
“There is a lot of contrast and simple devices that could be caused by the pursuit of materialism, and all of these things coexist in a beautiful place,” he reflected.
For the future, and as more people recognize his work, Disem hopes that those who enjoy it will be able to find meaning in his graffiti.
“Most of my work has a lot more symbolism in it,” he concluded. “I want them to see that.”
