‘They picked the wrong artist’: How a Dallas mural cover-up led to a $25m lawsuit against Fifa

Robert Wyland’s depiction of ocean life was covered up for a World Cup promotion – now he wants retribution

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Florida-based artist Robert Wyland – he’s almost always referred to as simply “Wyland” – was busy in his studio in the Florida Keys a few weeks ago doing what he always does: painting or sculpting vibrant, vivid scenes of aquatic life. Then his assistant walked in.

Wyland, 69, has earned international acclaim for his “whaling walls,” a series of larger-than-life murals across the United States and abroad, many which have become iconic parts of the fabric of American cities. Peacefully depicting the largest mammals on earth on warehouses and office buildings, the murals’ whales lumber along gracefully, offering city goers a moment or two of tranquillity amid chaos.