Jorit paints Muhammad Ali and oncologist Paolo Ascierto in Naples amid coronavirus crisis

Neapolitan street artist Jorit, 29, has created a mural of a young Muhammad Ali on a rooftop in Barra, eastern Naples, where he is self-isolating during the coronavirus lockdown. The boxer, depicted with the artist's signature red stripes on his cheeks, wears boxing gloves and stares at an opponent. Jorit stated he chose Ali because he was a fighter inside and outside the ring, aiming to deliver a message of resilience. The artwork is part of Jorit's Human Tribe series, which includes previous murals of Maradona, Che Guevara, and Martin Luther King in Naples' suburbs. Additionally, Jorit painted oncologist Paolo Antonio Ascierto, head of the medical team at the Pascale Institute in Naples that requested official testing of the drug Tolicizumab for severe COVID-19 cases. The portrait of Ascierto was auctioned online through Naples-based auction house Blindarte, which launched a call to support healthcare workers in Campania and Lombardy. The auction has raised nearly €13,000 so far, with proceeds funding research at the Pascale Institute and supporting Lombardy hospitals. Jorit emphasized the importance of public healthcare, education, and culture, reflecting on the pandemic as a moment to reassess consumerism and societal priorities.