BIOGRAPHY

Born in Santiago, Chile, Claudio Picasso moved to Miami with his mother at the age of two.
It was here that his artistic inclinations flourished and, by age 16, his compositions as CP1
began surging through Miami streets. His murals graced the walls of private residences, local
offices and his high school. It was at Palmetto High where Claudio would begin his formal studies
in art and sculpture, as well as develop a love of drafting. Claudio would be introduced to graffiti
art by friends and instantly fell in love with its bold color schemes, graphic styling, monumental
scale, underground culture, and means of social commentary. Still as he began to work with spray paint,
he felt the need to branch out from the traditional bright, pastel designs, often-repetitive structure,
and constraints as solely a form of word art. Soon after graduating high school, Claudio would expand his
repertoire in the School of Art and Art History at Florida International University, delving into every
medium he could. A Master’s degree in Education would soon follow. After working in sculpture, photography,
printmaking, and digital art, Claudio found himself returning to charcoal and spray paint as his preferred
mediums. With a draftsman’s meticulous eye, he engages a limited, complementary palette to symphonize
saturated color portraits in a style that dances precariously between hyperrealism and abstraction. Crafting
images with a depth and sensitivity that pushes the bounds of spray paint, Claudio occupies a space between
graffiti writer and fine artist, yet far beyond the bounds of either. His work today emphasizes the positive
attributes of spray paint as a medium while pushing to overcome both the physical limitations and preconceived
notions that accompany it. Often times monochromatic, the works leave greater emphasis to rendering, smooth
gradients, shading, and the relationship between foreground and background; positive and negative.
His Eye Series strips down color and composition to allow line and shading to dominate work that
prominently displays roots in charcoal drawing. These works pay homage to those people close to him, and also
to iconic figures that have greatly influenced his development as an artist. Here he engages a limited,
complementary palette in a style that dances precariously between hyperrealism and abstraction. His aesthetic
culls influence from post-impressionism, classic cinema, graphic design, and pop culture.
Claudio’s work has been featured in numerous print and online publications, including Miami Herald, Miami
New Times, and FIU’s The Beacon. This year, his mural at Sweat Records was recognized by The Atlantic
in its article detailing Miami’s alternative, cultural renaissance. Claudio’s pieces have been featured in
numerous regional exhibitions and can also be seen on shows like the TLC reality series Miami Ink and CNN’s
My City, My Life series. In 2009, The Miami New Times dubbed Claudio Miami’s most progressive, urban artist.
For 2011, Claudio completed murals for the Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason, Univision, and Tobacco Road, along
with a number of commercial and private commissions, including a local NBA star’s home. He is currently working
on projects for SLS Hotels on South Beach.

LINKS

Bescene Magazine
(Featured Artist, December 2009)

Sweat Records
(Wall of Idolatry mural by Claudio Picasso)

Noble Truth
(CP1 t-shirts for sale)

Ground Up & Rising
(Stage design by Claudio Picasso)

Openfilm.com
(Interview with Claudio Picasso)

CNN – My City, My Life
(Iggy Pop’s tour of Miami, featuring the Sweat Records mural)

Miami Graffiti
(A selection of street art by Claudio Picasso)