Iker Muro, better known as Murone, is a Spanish artist and graphic designer. His teenage years were strongly influenced by skateboarding and surfing culture. He later began working as a designer and illustrator, but in 2002 he decided to focus on graffiti. His work combines figurative and abstract styles, expressing both the tangible and the imaginary through vibrant colors and forms inspired by the visual landscapes of the cities where he paints. His work can be seen on large-scale walls as well as in galleries, reaching places such as Romania, Hong Kong, Boston, California, and Indonesia.
Artist, graphic designer, illustrator—you have a highly versatile creative profile. What led you to explore the field of street art in the early 2000s?
At that time, I was already immersed in graphic design. I worked in a design studio as an illustrator, we published a fanzine, organized parties, created posters, T-shirts, logos… I started by doing tags in my neighborhood, and after a trip to Berlin, I was amazed by the urban art boom. When I returned, we began creating interventions using stencils, vinyl cutouts, posters—anything went. It was a very fun time. We would go out as a group to do bombing sessions, and eventually all of that evolved and transformed into what I do today.
Your style is characterized by geometric forms that intertwine to create vibrant abstract and figurative compositions. How has your work as a graphic designer influenced the evolution of your artistic style?
I suppose quite a lot. I consider myself more of a designer or decorator than an artist—that’s a word that commands a lot of respect. I grew up in the 1990s, discovered Microsoft Paint, and was blown away by it. I kept pursuing that path, so although my work is very intuitive and visceral, you don’t really notice it until you see my process. The end result is a series of pieces that appear carefully measured and studied, when in reality they are the product of improvisation.
Although you have developed a distinctive style, you continue to incorporate new forms into your work. What role do the environment, context, and surface where you work play in the creation of your murals?
They are fundamental. I find it very difficult to create a sketch and transfer it directly onto a wall exactly as planned. It’s only once I’m physically in the space that I begin to paint, correct, and experiment. Very often, the environment or the surface itself ends up determining the final result.
Do you think the contrast created by bright colors in the environments where you paint can bring new functions or uses to those spaces?
Absolutely. For me, it’s obvious that after painting a tunnel, a sports court, or a mural, we give a different meaning to what was there before. For example, not long ago someone told me that one of the painted playground floors we created in a school in Málaga turned out to be incredibly useful during the pandemic. They assigned each child to a different color so they could maintain social distancing—pretty funny, actually.
When creating a work in a public space, is there room for improvisation, or is everything carefully planned?
There is a plan, but I rely heavily on intuition. Many times, by the time I finish a piece, I realize that I’ve unconsciously created a grid where everything fits together—diagonals, perpendiculars, and parallel lines—all without intending to. Boom! I’d say it’s about 50/50.
Since the beginning of your career as an urban artist, you have collaborated on various projects with other artists. What role does collaboration play in your creative process, and how have these experiences influenced you?
One of the advantages of coming from a graffiti background is that we tend to find it easier to blend our work with others. Learning from fellow artists has been very important to me, although it becomes more difficult over time. Everyone develops a very strong personal identity, and it can be challenging to make room for someone else’s vision.
In addition to murals, you also create studio-based work, a very different creative context from the street. Do you think creating art in public spaces adds value to your personal and professional experience?
Yes, definitely. The street offers an incredible level of public exposure, but it also provides experiences that you simply don’t get in a studio. I think the key is finding a balance. Right now, I’d like to focus more on working indoors. I’ve spent a long time creating in public spaces, and I feel the need to take a more inward journey.
In 2020, you painted a 1,635 m² mural at the TRAM Cornellà Centre station in Barcelona, the largest mural you had created to date. What challenges did working on a mural of that scale present?
Beyond the sheer size, working in a tunnel with trains constantly passing by, surrounded by people, noise, and wind, made the project especially challenging. You’d get home with your head pounding from everything happening around you, wake up the next day, and start all over again. It was tough.
You have lived in the Canary Islands for many years, where numerous murals are created. Why do you think this environment has developed, and why is it easier to carry out urban art projects there?
I suppose that living in a smaller place makes things that might seem complicated elsewhere much simpler. Relationships with institutions tend to be more direct and personal, and that makes everything easier.
