Robert Wyland, the Florida-based artist known for his monumental 'whaling walls', is suing Fifa for $25m after his Dallas mural 'Ocean Life' was painted over to make way for a World Cup promotion. The 82ft mural, which had adorned a building in Dallas for nearly 30 years, was covered without the artist's knowledge or consent.
Wyland, 69, learned of the erasure when his assistant informed him that someone had called to say the wall was being 'whitewashed, or blue-washed'. The artist, who has painted over 100 such murals worldwide, said he was 'shocked' and 'caught off guard'. His team filed a cease and desist, followed by a lawsuit against Fifa and the North Texas World Cup organising committee.
The mural, one of Wyland's favourites, depicted ocean life and had become a beloved part of the city's fabric. Over the years, it had aged, with fading colours and cracks, but Wyland had planned to restore it. Instead, it was entirely erased for a new mural promoting the 2026 World Cup.
Wyland described the legal battle as 'a David and Goliath thing', stating: 'They are a multibillion-dollar organisation, and I am a single artist with a small foundation. But I tell you, they picked the wrong artist and the wrong artwork. I am not going to stand by and let them get away with this.'
The incident has sparked debate about the ownership and importance of public art. Wyland's fascination with ocean life began at age 14, and his 'whaling walls' have become iconic, with 17 countries hosting his work. The Dallas mural's destruction has drawn widespread outcry.
