As the Miami Art week is starting we met up with the Happy, the Bright, and the Talented Romero Britto in his large, colorful, and brand new Factory of a studio! Walking in, we were immediately greeted by a large yellow wall covered in hearts which immediately set the stage for a happy visit.
We are also excited about the recent announcement of Romero Britto's biopic that is currently in pre-production by the same production company that filmed Walt Disney's biopic, Walt Before Mickey. The film is set to be released in 2021 but for now, we hope you enjoy this brief but pleasant interview with the artist who has a taste for visual music.
Tell us about your new Studio?
I’m super happy, there is so much to do. Especially in the middle of Covid, it’s been a good thing because I’ve been able to spend lots of time organizing the studio.
What do you like most about it?
I really like the layout with all its departments and with not too much traffic around it’s very calm. The team really likes it as well.
What kind of role do you want your art to play in society?
Creating art is such a nice process, the making of it always makes me feel good. When I started creating art I didn’t think my art would be a source of inspiration to so many people. And that’s my biggest hope, that my art can be a source of inspiration for other artists.
If you love to create art, there are also many forces holding you back, especially for younger artists. Things like; “How are you going to sustain yourself?”, “Will people come to see your art?”, “How will you be able to create your art.” are some of the challenging questions younger artists face. And that is what I hope my art can be a source of inspiration for.
What was a critical decision you made to be where you are today?
It was not one decision where I thought my life would be this way, it was a combination of thoughts and actions that led to others which eventually put me here. So all of a sudden, OMG! Here I am, in a fantastic studio, and fantastic people around me every day.
You came to the U.S. as an immigrant and settled in Miami. Why?
I didn’t come as an immigrant, I came as an artist. I didn’t know I was going to fall in love with the US. I always wanted to live in the UK, specifically England because I loved its history, its people, and the inspiration it gave me. But I wanted to be in a very dynamic country and the US gave me that through the mix of people that seemed like they were always trying to outdo each other. Competition is healthy and very helpful because tomorrow you might not be the one and if you don’t do better that’s it, you’re out. That’s why America is so cutting edge, because there’s nothing static about it. Today you’re here and tomorrow you’re there.
I came here from Brazil to visit a friend of mine who was going to the University. Afterward, I went to Europe but soon came back to Miami, and without it being a strategic decision, I felt that Miami was the place for me to be. And here I am.
How has your practice as an artist changed over time?
It keeps changing all the time. But the one thing that doesn’t change is the discipline to wake up in the morning and come to the studio no matter if I’m 1000% up or 1000% down. It doesn’t matter, I just come here and do my thing.
A lot has changed this year, have you had to adapt in any way?
So many things can happen to you today, the whole world has been affected. But one thing that I’ve learned is how to adapt. Since I was a kid I had to
adapt because I grew up in a family that was dysfunctional and unconventional. So because of the dysfunctional family setup, I’ve had to adapt all my life and that’s been very helpful to me because it’s never been perfect and forever changing. So when the pandemic arrived, the change wasn’t anything new.
Even though there’s always something happening I’ve been very blessed that I was able to adapt to the circumstances and have had an incredible team in the process. With the extra time I had from not being able to travel, I’ve been traveling from home to the studio and back which has been very productive for my work this year.
On top of all that, I had to make a major move from the old studio to the new with a million pieces having to be moved over the course of three months. It's been a lot of work but I thank god that it’s been very effective and that things are taking shape.
When is the Romero Britto movie coming out?
Great question, I want to know what happens to me! It’s coming out in December 2021 according to Lucas Vidal and the producers. I’m so excited to know what people will say and think.
What do you want people to remember you for?
I hope that people will think about my art as the art of happiness. When people see one of my sculptures or painting I want a good feeling to come to their minds and hearts. I would like my art to be like music because when you listen to music that you love, it brings you to another moment that makes you feel good.
I would love my art to be like music to people's eyes.
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