Huge ‘Murnal’ of people kissing on Vijzelgracht: “A beautiful symbol for freedom”

You can’t miss it when you walk through Vijzelstraat: the new meter high mural by Judith de Leeuw, showing two men kissing. And that was exactly the intention of the artist, who completed the work of modern art.

De Leeuw has painted large murals before the Leidsepleinbee Uillenstede student campus and also on the Vijzelgracht there was already one. Yes now Behind the Rainbow added. Because that’s the name of her latest work.

Vijzelgracht happy with painting

“I had to fight for this for two years,” says De Leeuw. “Dozens of people wanted my art on the wall. At first I had said: I would like to make a picture of a man and a woman. A man and a man. And then everyone said, Don’t do it again .”

But on the Vijzelgracht they were happy with it. The two men seen on the wall are friends of De Leeuw. There are also a hundred AI pictures of gay men on the wall.

“It’s not a problem if heterosexuals kiss, is it?” said a passerby. “Why are people now finding it ‘in your face’? Then you just look the other way.” Another: “I think it’s very normal these days for two men to kiss. ” De Leeuw says that she has also spoken to several people over 70 who were wondering if this was necessary now. “Yes, this is necessary.”

“I hope this will also be seen by many others as a beautiful symbol for the freedom we can hope to continue to experience in Amsterdam,” says one of those going over.