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A lighthouse in Spain has received a colorful makeover by a well-known local artist, and the vibrant transformation is attracting great attention. The 16-meter formerly white lighthouse, Faro de Ajo, was painted with over 70 colors by Cantabrian artist, Okuda San Miguel, to show off the cultural diversity of the area.

The Faro de Ajo lighthouse in Spain with a new vibrant makeover
Artist Okuda San Miguel carried out the work © Beatriz Carretero & Omar H. Garcia

The project is called “Infinite Cantabria” and Okuda began the work on it on 24 August. It was commissioned by the Port Authority of Santander and Bareyo Town Council, and is the first lighthouse to be artistically intervened along the Spanish coast. Faro de Ajo dates back to 1930 and is the last lighthouse built in Cantabria.

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The Faro de Ajo lighthouse in Spain with a new vibrant makeover
The lighthouse was painted with over 70 colors © Beatriz Carretero & Omar H. Garcia

The transformation has been carried out in a way that also respects the lighthouse's original function of assisting ships. The theme that Okuda San Miguel chose for it alludes to the natural wealth of the region by representing local fauna. It also represents the cultural diversity of a modern and open Cantabria and its connection to the world.

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The Faro de Ajo lighthouse in Spain with a new vibrant makeover
The makeover represents the cultural diversity of Cantabria © Beatriz Carretero & Omar H. Garcia

“It has been a unique experience, both because of the artistic challenge that it has brought about for me, as well having carried this project out in my homeland,” says Okuda.

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