Muralist Effe Creates ‘A Constant Conversation’ Through The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project, with Journalist Ian Urbina

Muralist Effe creating for The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project

Effe’s mural can be found in Lisbon, Portugal and is called “Unseen Ocean.”

Logo of The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project launched in April 2022

Public art has the power to impact people by changing the spaces they frequent during their daily lives.”

— Effe, The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project

WASHINGTON DC, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES, May 30, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a candid essay about his art, muralist Effe 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.

Filipe Barros Ribeiro, the artist known as Effe, is a multidisciplinary artist from Alentejo, Portugal. For the past few years, he has focused on illustration and street art. He depicts interactions between human beings and their surrounding environment, painting with vibrant colors and bold lines. After a recent tattoo apprenticeship with Diogo Andrade at Alternative Tattoo Society, Effe’s artwork has been heavily influenced by the tattoo world.

When he was invited to be part of The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project, he relished the opportunity to paint on a large scale and to incorporate the new influences on his art. He set out to portray the brutal impact of human activity on the waters and the animals that live in the oceans across the world.

Invigorated by The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project collaboration, Effe is eager to share his painting and his experience with the world.

“The beauty of art is the ease of communicating with people who don't speak the same language as me,” said Effe. “Additionally, when you combine journalism with art, you enhance journalism, disseminating written content in a new way and reaching a wider audience.”

Effe’s mural can be found in Lisbon, Portugal and is called “Unseen Ocean.”