WATCH: Artist dresses up Paris building in vivid Mona Lisa mural

PARIS - The world's most famous painting has inspired a Spanish street artist to create a 50-metre (164-feet) high mural, one of Europe's tallest, on a Paris building.

The Mona Lisa mural by internationally-renowned Okuda is set to be unveiled to residents on Thursday evening (June 15).

The artist began work on his 50x15 metre (164x50 feet) mural on Monday (June 12), a contemporary reinterpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, also known as La Gioconda, on display in Paris's Louvre museum.

As Okuda had recently been working on reinterpretations of classical icons, he immediately came up with the idea of a new-age La Gioconda when contacted by Paris exhibition space "By Night Gallery" about painting a mural in the city.

The Spaniard, who studied fine arts in Madrid, said he envisaged a Mona Lisa of the world, instead of the Florentine woman thought to be the subject of Da Vinci's portrait.

"I think it's like the new vision of the Gioconda, and for me it's like a multi-cultural-skinned woman, that has different fabrics like from different parts of the world," he said.

His Mona Lisa, Okuda said, is a product of different art movements and patterns inspired by other countries. She is depicted as a standing woman in a miniskirt holding a handbag.

Okuda said the most emotional part about his art was its effect on the environment around him, as he said he witnessed in developing countries.

Magazine editor Christine Cozanet, who lived in an apartment with a view of the gigantic mural, said it could bring people together and spark conversation in the multi-cultural neighbourhood.

The finished product is set to be unveiled officially to the local residents on Thursday evening.

The mayor of the 13th district of Paris, who plays a big role in promoting street art in the quarter, will be present.

[embed]https://studio.brightcove.com/products/videocloud/media/videos/5473513241001[/embed]