Mural of the Stadium Folke Anderson
In 1958 commissioned by Folke Anderson, Efraín Andrade designed and built the mural located at the entrance of the Folke Anderson Soccer Stadium of Esmeraldas.
Andrade was inspired to create this mural by the people of Esmeraldas and their love of soccer.
The eleven figures on the mural represent not only the soccer players from Esmeraldas, but also everyone who, at one point or another, kicked the ball on the field of their beloved stadium.
Andrade’s mural has contributed to the inspiration of all who dreamed of becoming a soccer player like the ones at the entrance of their stadium.
Folke Anderson the influential owner of the Astral Company was the promoter of the stadium’s construction. Folke Anderson was born in Sweden. By 1948 he was cultivating and exporting bananas from Ecuador to the USA and Europe. His fruit trade business played a key role in the economic life of Esmeraldas in the 1950s and 1960s.
The mural stands today after a half century as a tribute to the foresight of Folke Anderson, and the artistic skill of Efraín Andrade.
As a result, this mural is being considered for designation as Cultural Heritage.
Efraín Andrade sculpting the mural in 1958