Pelado paints Tony Valiente in Flea Market

Pelado has finished a stunning portrait of Tony Valiente in the Mercado de Pulgas in Colegiales. Tony runs an antiques stall in the flea market and is one of its best known personalities.

Larger than life: Tony Valiente

Tony is famous for his wacky creations that include hats, purses and bags made out of buttons, badges, pins and all sorts of paraphernalia. He’s also coined some classic phrases such as: “If you want to make me laugh, you only have to tell me you love me,” and “If a politician tells you the truth, don’t believe him. He isn’t a politician.”

Tony’s hats come in all different shapes and sizes

Pelado’s mural includes a tribute to José Luis Cabezas with the inscription ‘No se olviden Cabezas’ (‘Don’t forget Cabezas’). The Argentine photo-journalist was murdered on 25 January 1997 in the resort of Pinamar after being kidnapped, beaten up and shot twice in the head after an exposé about mafia dealings in Argentina. His body was then placed inside a vehicle and dumped in a pit where it was burned.

Tribute: ‘Don’t forget Cabezas’

The tragedy was viewed as an attack on independent journalism and led  to widespread protests and marches to bring Cabezas’ killers to justice.

Bric-a-brac at Mercado de Pulgas

Also included in the mural are bric-a-brac and objects that you can find all over the flea market.