Anyone walking down Aristomenous Street in central Kalamata will now meet the commanding gaze of a familiar figure. Maria Callas, depicted in a sweeping white gown embellished with olive leaves, grapes, and blackbirds, dominates in a striking 115-sq.m. mural on the Papadimitriou building that is already well on its way to becoming a new city landmark.

“While searching for a female figure who could embody Kalamata itself and be internationally recognizable, I arrived at Maria Callas,” says artist Kleomenis Kostopoulos (KLE), speaking to Kathimerini newspaper as he adds the final touches from a lift.

A few months ago, the well-known visual artist and artistic director of the Art Walk Festival (the largest street art festival in Greece, based in Patras) was commissioned by the Municipality of Kalamata to create a work that would connect the city’s identity with art and culture, as part of the “Kalamata 2030” initiative.

“In essence, it’s an allegorical portrait filled with symbolism, expressed through the figure of the famous soprano,” says Kostopoulos, noting that “although she herself was not born or raised here, her parents came from Kalamata. There is also a local organization dedicated to her memory.”

He notes that mural art is fundamentally tied to its surroundings in a way studio work is not. “You can’t paint this indoors. The work must speak to its environment,” he says. “That’s why I chose to highlight the region’s biodiversity: olives, grapes, figs, and birds that are typical of Messinia, such as the blackbird, sparrow, and crow.”

As we speak, a growing crowd of passersby watches the mural come to life. “It is the most democratic and inclusive form of art. Everyone can experience it, and it can transform an entire city into an open museum,” he concludes.