Art x Love, an Akron-based fine arts branding company, installed a new mural of LeBron James at the Maple Valley Branch Library in LeBron’s hometown of Akron, Ohio this past weekend. Dierre Fleetwood painted the mural which was titled, ‘Heart of A.KING.’ The painting is eight feet high by eight feet wide and features an image of James and a lion over the map of Ohio. The mural took Fleetwood more than two months to complete and he spoke to Cleveland.com about the inspiration behind the painting.
“I was just thinking about LeBron, everything he did for the city,” Fleetwood told Cleveland.com. “He inspires the whole city. Look at what he’s done. He brought us a chip back, too. From him building a school and just everything he’s doing for the community, he’s a big leader. He’s a big leader for Akron.”
With the tremendous strides that LeBron’s ‘I Promise School’ has made this year, a mural on the outside of a library in his hometown is certainly fitting. The design of the painting is eye-catching as well, capturing LeBron’s likeness while also incorporating his lion-like spirit and dedication to his home state. Overall, it’s a fire piece of artwork that Fleetwood deserves tremendous credit for creating.
