Spotted: On The Wall

Spotted: On The Wall

Incorporating the bright and colorful elements of the DT brand with Yucatán culture, King of Prussia artist, Matthew Watke, crafted a one-of-a-kind mural in our King of Prussia restaurant. As the winner of the KOP Art Contest, Michael provides a unique and original perspective to the District Taco brand that we know and love. Philadelphia is known for its massive street art scene and a cultured city vibe. We wanted to bring that through to our restaurant to really feel a part of the community. With a colorful wave of salsa pouring out onto the wall in our King of Prussia restaurant, it is a sight to see and something you can't miss!
So, we sat down with Michael to ask about his work, what inspired him to create this mural, and how the process came to life. Check out what District Taco looks like through the eyes of a local!

DT: Tell us about you as an artist. What’s some of the other artwork you have done? Do you mostly do murals, or do you work with other types of media?

MW: This was my first mural and definitely my first time working on anything close to this size. Lately, I’ve been working with various traditional drawing media and digital tools. I would love to work on another mural, though. Working on such a large scale introduced constraints that made the project more challenging and interesting.

What elements inspired you to create this piece the way you did?

I started by looking at District Taco's menu, website, and social media. I made a mind map of items that I associated with what I had read and seen. I then started sketching elements that I eventually arranged to form the initial concept for the mural. In addition to images of Mexican food and ingredients, I included red and green colors and stars in order to echo design elements that can be found in the company logo.

There are so many small details incorporated in the piece that really capture a lot of the different elements to the DT brand. How did you come up with these? 

My goal for the composition was to lead the viewers' eyes from one item to the next toward the front of the queue and convey excitement about District Taco's products. That is where I got the idea of the bucket spilling out all of these great District Taco items. 

Also, for example, the cyclist wrapped in a taco shell is a reference to District Taco's sponsorship of a cycling team. The idea for the pose came from a photo of DT racing's, Alex Heymann. His pose in that photo reminded me of a taco shell, and I just brought that to life after seeing the large presence of DT racing when researching the company. 

What medium is this mural in, and why did you choose that specific medium?

The design actually started out as a digital illustration that was produced with raster graphics software and a graphics tablet. The final mural was drawn with blackboard chalk. Chalk is easy to blend and erase, making it a flexible medium for this kind of project.

Okay, our favorite and most important question for you...what is your favorite meal to get at District Taco?

Huevos Rancheros with chorizo is my favorite meal. Yum! We love it too, Michael. 

To see this mural for yourself, head to our King of Prussia restaurant located at the King of Prussia Town Center for the most delicious Mexican catering, entrees, & tacos! Also, stay tuned for the opening of our second location in Downtown Philadelphia at 12th & Market Streets coming later this year. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram for the most up to date information about the opening!

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