Each March, Spain has a traditional festival in Valencia, dating back thousands of years, also called Fallas. Held in commemoration of St. Joseph, neighborhoods throughout the city spend the year developing a giant puppet known as a falla. And this year, Spanish street artist Okuda San Miguel joined the festivities, creating an 82-foot-high falla called Equilibri Universal.
![A Spanish Street Artist Creates Huge Sculpture for Valencia’s Fallas Festival](https://freeyorkk.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/okuda-fallas-festival-valencia-10.jpg)
For such a traditional occasion, the invitation of a street artist has been revolutionary. Okuda worked diligently for a year to come up with the notion and took in the recommendation of local fallaartisans to make his vision a reality. Fallas is a serious company in Valencia, with every neighborhood working year-round to increase funds and then make their falla. Fittingly, falla translates to torch, and each one is filled up with fireworks that explode before burning.
![A Spanish Street Artist Creates Huge Sculpture for Valencia’s Fallas Festival](https://freeyorkk.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/okuda-fallas-festival-valencia-4.jpg)
Okuda is no stranger to big projects, having changed a sizable church into a skatepark. However, Fallas introduced a completely new challenge. His largest sculpture to date he used over 700 spray cans on the colorful piece and had a group of 10 supporters to bring the work to completion. Ultimately, it was worth it. “It was one of the strongest feelings I have ever had in my entire life, but at precisely the same time very positive and unique,” he shares.
His inclusion in such a traditional setting is yet another mark of how street art has become further incorporated into mainstream culture, moving from a fringe, underground motion to among the most significant artwork phenomena of the 21st century.
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![A Spanish Street Artist Creates Huge Sculpture for Valencia’s Fallas Festival](https://freeyorkk.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/okuda-fallas-festival-valencia-6.jpg)
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![A Spanish Street Artist Creates Huge Sculpture for Valencia’s Fallas Festival](https://freeyorkk.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/okuda-fallas-festival-valencia-7.jpg)
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![A Spanish Street Artist Creates Huge Sculpture for Valencia’s Fallas Festival](https://freeyorkk.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/okuda-fallas-festival-valencia-8.jpg)
![A Spanish Street Artist Creates Huge Sculpture for Valencia’s Fallas Festival](https://freeyorkk.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/okuda-fallas-festival-valencia-12.jpg)
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![A Spanish Street Artist Creates Huge Sculpture for Valencia’s Fallas Festival](https://freeyorkk.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/okuda-fallas-festival-valencia-9.jpg)
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EFE/Manuel Bruque
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