Uncle Louie and Britto posing for a photo with Marley Coffee at Britto Central in Wynwood
It's very rare to see an artist succeed during his or her own lifetime. Most likely, you've heard the old adage about starving artists and have undoubtedly witnessed how it can take an artist's own death for them to become venerable and in turn, for their artwork to become valuable. That's a very difficult pill to swallow for some with artistic ambition, but one that Brazilian born Romero Britto has totally debunked during his meteoric rise to pop star sensation and paintbrush propelled superstardom! Britto's Sharpie markers landed him at the helm of a multi-million dollar empire. Behind the wheel of a bright yellow Ferrari (his favorite color), he drives to his studio in Wynwood (Miami) where he continually creates more masterful pieces. In between studio sessions and visits to his gallery on Lincoln Road, he travels the world dining with heads of state, dignitaries and superstars who, as chance would have it, are fans of his! His social media feed is a virtual plethora of who's who in the world of pop culture and his love of Dolce & Gabbana, bright colorful suits and fine cars is unabashed.
Britto is an anomaly, breaking the preverbal pop artist mold. When I say "Pop Artist", I mean a genre of art that challenges the traditions of fine art with individuality and visual creativity. I'm not talking about Pop Artists like Michael Jackson, although Britto and MJ were friends and he painted an incredible portrait of Michael. Britto has painted portraits of many famous people, honoring them with a style of portrait that only he can accomplish. After his ascent into the mainstream Miami art scene, he has consistently experienced success and that success is not limited to the 305. His trademark style has leaped from country to country, reaching multiple continents and proving that his art has no borders! With multiple successful exhibits and impressive sales results as far away as Asia and most recently in Russia, Britto has proven that his market sustainability and licensing value across multiple platforms is no fluke; his consistency and longevity are now proven with analytical data. Britto's artwork has impacted popular culture on so many levels.
Britto's designs are strikingly bright, vivid in color and packed with happiness and love. They invoke smiles and grins. They bring Miami to your door no matter where you live. As somebody who grew up in a family of artists, I've studied and practiced many different mediums of art. In college, I had a double major, one of which was fine arts. I painted, sculpted; forced myself to learn to sketch with charcoal and sculpt with clay even when it was very difficult for me to master. I traveled to Europe to see the historically important pieces throughout England, France, Spain, and Italy. The fact is, when I first started to see Britto's work in Miami, I wasn't sure how to react. It was unconventional and not like anything I'd seen. I wasn't sure if it was ok for me to like it! For a very long time, I had given up on art and focused solely on my music; I learned firsthand how difficult it was to make any creative endeavor profitable and I set aside my love of painting and drawing almost entirely, in favor of earning a living.
Art can make you feel so many things and sometimes, you don't understand how you are feeling. Yet over time, that vulnerability transcends into an emotion and if it's exceptional, you can channel it and have an understanding of what you are feeling. Not every artist can make you feel some kind of way, only the very best can do that. Whether you love an artist's work or have a deep dislike for it, that's an achievement in itself for the artist. It's the artist who fails to make the viewer feel anything that ultimately fails at their craft. Britto is clearly successful in this criteria on so many levels as far as I'm concerned.
Soon after I noticed his artwork, Britto's signature pieces began popping up everywhere in Miami. It was on the shirts of people working in the airport who greeted you upon arrival, it was on cars throughout the city; even parking meters were designed and embellished by Britto! There were Britto palm trees, Britto statues, he was on buildings, stadiums, and even cruise ships. You name it, he touched it with his art and it made me smile. I reveled in his success. I admired his reach, marketability and his ability to stay true to his art. Miami became Britto and Britto became Miami. In fact, I became a fan quite organically. I was immersed in Miami's culture and Miami's culture was immersed in Romero Britto. His art was unlike anything I'd seen or experienced before. It transcended typical mediums and didn't stop at the NFL Super Bowl halftime show either; his team ingeniously began to strike licensing deals at a very high level. Britto was literally everywhere. Suitcases were emblazoned; shirts, neck ties, scarves, plush stuffed animals... strollers, car seats, furniture, cups, teapots, umbrellas, purses, watches, phone cases, dog beds, chess sets, cologne and perfume, you name it, Britto painted it! He became the official artist of FIFA and even signed a deal with Disney!
My admiration for Britto and respect for the level of success he has experienced came full circle when he and I crossed paths in about 2009. I was enamored by his genuinely humble demeanor; he was happy and exuded the same joyful persona in person that his paintings, sculptures and merchandise did. I understood why retail giants were vying for his products. Have you ever wished that you could bottle up a feeling and tap into it whenever you liked? Britto did just that! He figured out how to bottle up his happiness and love, share it with the world, and make millions of people smile! He painted his way into the hearts of many, sprinkled on some diamond dust (it's not glitter!!), and made the world a happier place. I suspect that's why Disney came knocking and commissioned him to put the Britto touch on their characters and subsequently put a Britto store at Disney World, similar to how Royal Caribbean did on their ships. Who wouldn't want to be able to offer their customers a chance to take home some happiness?!
Many years have passed now and we have become friends. I feel truly lucky to be able to say that because it's a friendship that I cherish. I've been fortunate to be able to share my passion of music and business with him. He is always eager to hear my ideas and listens intently when I share them. I appreciate that. When I approached him with my idea to partner his designs with Hublot, he loved the idea. This year, he took time out of his very busy schedule to paint a portrait of me. I am humbled and grateful each time I look at that painting. How many people can share a bond with their favorite artist? I think it's a very select few but knowing Britto how I know him now, I see how in sync he is with his fans and bet that number is growing. He feels their pulse and he really gets how important it is for him to interact with his fans, exchanging ideas and energy which ensure he will stay at the epicenter of pop art culture.
Romero Britto visiting with a collector at a 2015 Labor Day celebration
In a world full of chaos and uncertainty, Britto's artwork is a constant source of happiness for me, an escape from the trials and tribulations of society. I make sure to have something in each room of my house so that wherever I am, smiles abound!