Pixel Alì

Colored pencil and ink on paper

60×40 cm 23.6×15.7 in, 2020

Available — €900

Pixel Ali is based on a photograph from the fight between Muhammad Ali and Earnie Shavers, on September 29, 1977.

I was drawn to this image because Ali does not appear only as a boxer, but as a physical and theatrical presence. In the reference photo, what stands out most is his wide-eyed expression and the power of the pose. These elements convey strength, movement, and dominance, but in the transition to pixels they could not be rendered with the precision of a traditional portrait.

What interested me was preserving that same energy through the overall structure of the image. Even without being able to define the eyes with the precision of a traditional portrait, I wanted the body, the posture, and the overall impact to keep communicating Ali’s commanding presence.