Artwork by Renowned Dutch Artist Mr. Super A Champions Ecosystem Restoration and Environmental Justice
Chicago, Ill. | May 31, 2025 — Chicago’s skyline just gained a bold new symbol for the planet. In celebration of World Environment Day 2025, a 245-foot mural titled “Stand Tall” created by acclaimed Dutch artist Mr. Super A has been unveiled on the iconic Prudential Building (Pru). Curated by the non-profit Street Art for Mankind (SAM), this monumental artwork stands as a powerful call for ecosystem restoration and environmental justice in cities worldwide.
The mural is part of the global #EcosystemRestorationMurals series, an initiative by SAM in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in support of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration —a worldwide drive to halt, prevent and reverse the degradation of nature.
Since launching in 2021, this mural series has reached over 120 million people, transforming cityscapes across Europe and the U.S., and aligning with key global moments like the UN General Assembly, Climate Week, and previous World Environment Day celebrations.
In partnership with the City of Chicago, this latest installation shines a spotlight on human actions for bringing back trees and forests –including in and around cities. It emphasizes how restoring urban ecosystems directly benefits citizens through climate resilience, public health and equity in historically underserved neighborhoods.
"I am proud to see this mural brighten our skyline, representing the soul of our city and our commitment to environmental justice," said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. "I appreciate how the artist, Mr. Super A, incorporated elements from Chicago's natural environment into a piece that encourages us to restore and protect our planet. With this artwork inspiring Chicagoans, I look forward to continued collaboration citywide in our mission to create healthier and resilient communities for all."
“If left unchecked, urbanization can have harmful impacts on natural ecosystems, which in turn can negatively affect the well-being of city dwellers,” said Rafael Peralta, Regional Director for UNEP North America. “However, well-functioning urban ecosystems can help to create cleaner, healthier and more resilient cities for everyone.”
“We need to recognize and celebrate the importance of climate resiliency in Chicago–the environmental justice movement began on the far South Side where we are still fighting for clean air and land today.” said Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director, People for Community Recovery (PCR), and daughter of late Hazel Johnson. “This work of art highlights our interconnectedness and continued perseverance to achieve environmental justice for every community.”
“Around the country, and in Chicago, Black and Brown communities face disproportionately high rates of asthma, cancer, and other health issues caused by environmental pollution,” said Audrey and Thibault Decker, co-founders of Street Art for Mankind. “Urban trees - known to absorb over 822,000 metric tons of air pollution annually - can play a vital role in reducing these disparities.”
“Chicago is a city where boldness reigns,” said Pru General Manager Marie Lucas. “We are honored to have been selected for this incredible work of art, a gift to the community, one that celebrates restoration, resilience, and a shared future. To be a small part in this global movement is truly humbling.”
About the Artwork
Mr. Super A’s mural, true to his surreal and evocative style, fuses fantasy with reality. It features a striking, cartoon-like woman gazing directly at the viewer as she strokes a white-tailed deer, Illinois’ state animal, surrounded by native oak trees and holding a chrysanthemum, the official flower of Chicago. Emerging from playful cartoon ribbons, the woman embodies resilience and determination — a figure not confined to a fantasy world but rooted in reality, urging onlookers to act for their communities and the planet.
The mural also pays homage to Chicago’s proud legacy as the birthplace of the environmental justice movement, honoring Hazel Johnson, the trailblazing activist known as the “Mother of Environmental Justice,” who championed the rights of communities disproportionately impacted by pollution.
Community and Corporate Collaboration
This landmark project was made possible thanks to the generous support of Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, a UN Global Compact member, along with Pru, which donated the iconic façade.
To bring the mural to life for all visitors, a free interactive app, Behind the Wall®, is available on the App Store and Google Play. The app offers an immersive audio guide, letting users scan the mural to unlock stories from environmental experts, community leaders, and the artist himself.
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Mural Location:
Prudential Plaza: Corner of N Michigan Ave & East Lake Street, Chicago, IL
Mural Unveiling:
Saturday, May 31 at 9:00 AM CDT
Media Contact:
Audrey Decker | Street Art for Mankind
[email protected] | +1 305 934 5501
https://streetartmankind.org/ecosystemrestoration/
Visual Assets:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AkvrBHw9N20S0q8EROyrntYkUNaqi4GN
Photo Credit: @dr_derek & @StreetArtMankind
Hashtags: #StreetArtMankind #EcosystemRestorationMurals #GenerationRestoration #ForNature
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Mr. Super A
Stefan Thelen, known by his alter ego Mr. Super A, is a Dutch artist whose work manipulates familiar iconography into mind-bending and inquisitive pieces. He takes viewers on a journey through a wonderland, walking down a yellow brick road where his figurative and modern surrealist compositions offer playful puzzles to decipher. He is renowned for his large-scale murals painted around the world.
About Street Art for Mankind (SAM)
Street Art for Mankind (SAM) is a non-profit organization curating and producing large murals all around the world with prominent street artists. SAM’s goal is to raise awareness on social justice and environmental issues, and to give the public the means to become actors of change. https://streetartmankind.org/
About World Environment Day
World Environment Day is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Held annually since 1973, the Day has also become a vital platform for promoting progress on the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals. With the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the helm, over 150 countries participate each year. Major corporations, non-governmental organizations, communities, governments and celebrities from across the world adopt the World Environment Day brand to champion environmental causes.
About Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
Bulleit, founded in 1987, is one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America. The brand attributes that growth to bartenders and cultural partners who have adopted it as their own. The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey portfolio is distilled and aged in the Bulleit tradition, using a distinctive high rye recipe, which gives them a bold, spicy, yet distinctively smooth taste. In 2017, Bulleit celebrated its 30th anniversary with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art distillery in Shelbyville, KY, constructed with a focus on sustainable practices including natural habitat protection, water conservation and local ingredient sourcing. In 2019, a Visitor's Centre at the Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville opened to share our modern, technological and sustainable approach to making great whiskey. For more information, follow @Bulleit on Instagram.
About Pru
Completed in 1955 and renovated in 2014, One Pru was the first skyscraper built in Chicago following the Great Depression and World War II. Two Pru was completed in 1990. Ownership recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation that brought a myriad of hospitality driven amenities to the property. Situated just across the street from Millennium Park, Pru enjoys a dynamic mix of ground-floor retailers and restaurants and is steps from the city’s most iconic attractions, including Pritzker Pavilion, The Bean, Maggie Daley Park, Grant Park, The Magnificent Mile, and The Art Institute of Chicago. Pru is owned by Wanxiang America Real Estate Group.