Belén Portillo is 28 years old and was born and raised in
Ingeniero Budge,
in the southern part of the GBA, in the
Lomas de Zamora
district , and what began as a hobby in her life, later ended up becoming her job.
Today she is a professor of plastic arts and, among other things, she is dedicated to making all kinds of drawings: from painting on paper as well as paintings and murals.
Last December, during the Qatar 2022 World Cup, it occurred to him to portray Dibu Martinez
's embrace
with
Lionel Messi
after the last penalty kicked by Lautaro Martinez, in the shootout against
the Netherlands.
That painting
came to Emiliano Martinez, not without incidents.
"We were all very involved with the World Cup, and the truth is that particularly that moment, the moment of the embrace between Messi and Dibu, was very exciting," says Belén.
"It was a unique moment because all the other players went running all over the field, and there comes that famous photo, when he hugs him. It was a very tender image, because you could tell that Messi gave them support all the
time , I tried to calm them down,
it was very significant," he recalls.
"I knew that I was going to paint something from the World Cup - he admits - and that Messi was surely going to be there, so it was time. So I said 'I have to paint this photo', and it has to be in large dimensions. And what I
had at hand at the time was a 300 gram sheet of
50x70.C
with that I started.
First I passed the drawing and then I started to paint ", she adds.
Belen Portillo with the painting.
He says that Messi and Dibu's hug while the others celebrated separately was inspiring.
Of his painting, which he named as
The Eternal Embrace
,
he comments: "It was a pleasure to do it because on top of that, as I published it in the stories,
I used to label him, Dibu. And he saw it a couple of times!
In other words, he was watching the progress... So, imagine, I'm crazy."
At the time, once the drawing was finished, Belén decided to post a photo on her Instagram account commenting that
she would love to send it to Dibu, or at least that he could see it in person
.
Then -he recalls-, in the publication itself, many people began to comment on him and told him that Dibu had to return to the country for the friendlies that the National Team played against Panama and Curaçao: "I did not remember the exact date very well but I knew it was late March".
Always with the National Team: a mural celebrating Di María after the 2-0 defeat to France.
And he highlights: "It turns out that
a girl from his fan club, who was from Tucumán, tells me that he had a friend who could send it to him.
Then he gives me the boy's contact, who responded to my touch, and says: you Don't worry, I can bring it closer. You can send it to me, we see a meeting point and you send it to me".
The moment
"The truth is that I wasn't very sure at first," says Belén. "But I managed to go anyway. And I went. In the middle, in the middle of all this, the remis
car broke down, and I came walking with the painting in my arms
I was super nervous."
She also expresses: "I thought that this person was going to give it to Emiliano that same day. I didn't want to send him a message because I said 'no, I'm not going to charge him anymore.'
Almost a week passed "The next Sunday,
I received the photo of Dibu with my painting
, looking at it with love. And the friend tells me 'congratulations, he loved it'. At that moment I relaxed, but when I saw the photo I couldn't speak ".
In production: his future painting of Messi with the World Cup.
Belén's goal is to give it to Leo.
Along with the painting, he left a letter to the person who acted as an intermediary with Dibu, expressing his gratitude for everything he had done during the World Cup, and that, in the event Messi were to see the painting, please, I will send a photo.
"'I know that he is a person that you appreciate very much, like everyone else there, and I think he will love the painting. Anything that he needs to paint, write to me. Please let me know if you see it,' I put it, "
he
recalls between laughs
Your office
"I started painting from primary school, and later, as far as art is concerned, I studied at Lola Mora in Lugano. At the same time, I followed the teaching staff at the same school and later graduated as a teacher," says Belén.
One of his first works related to soccer: mural of Maradona in Puente La Noria.
"In general, I paint what they ask of me.
Last year I painted Messi with the Copa América.
I raffled off that painting. Now they commissioned another of him with the World Cup to continue trying my luck, to see if I can get to he".
"I also paint murals with a group of artists called NN Arte Urbano -he says-. They had invited me to paint
a Maradona painting
in Puente La Noria for the first time. For me, it was my favorite mural".
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