Mexican muralist turns Tijuana streets into sports inspiration

Mode Orozco's vibrant murals are turning the streets of Tijuana and other parts of Baja California into canvases celebrating Mexican athletes. What began as a personal artistic endeavor has evolved into a powerful source of inspiration for young people, particularly aspiring athletes. Orozco's art now adorns walls and bridge structures, but its impact extends beyond aesthetics, significantly influencing the mindset of the next generation of athletes.

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One day you're going to paint me, I'm so-and-so, I practice boxing, and one day you're going to paint me, remember me.

He shared his pride in receiving messages from young athletes who dream of being immortalized in his work. "One day you're going to paint me, I'm so-and-so, I practice boxing, and one day you're going to paint me, remember me," they tell him. These messages fill Orozco with satisfaction, confirming he is on the right path in his career. He expressed how a mural, which he never imagined would have such an impact, has become a motivation for him, especially coming from someone who felt he hadn't achieved much in life.

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That a mural, which I never imagined would have such an impact, would be a motivation and well, imagine for me, coming from, in my opinion, having achieved nothing in my life, and now being part of this sports history of the region... it's something very important, that for me, that's what fills me with the most satisfaction.

Orozco's influence reaches beyond Tijuana. He recently painted the gym of renowned boxing trainer Eddy Reynoso in San Diego, a project that came about after Reynoso saw Orozco's mural of the Padres baseball team. This collaboration highlights the growing recognition of Orozco's talent and its connection to the sports world.

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Eddy built that gym for the concentration of those fights. He contacted me and told me he had seen a mural of mine of the Padres and well, he made me part of it. Imagine.