Romero Britto

Growing up in the favelas of Brazil, Romero Britto painted on scraps of paper as a child, driven by color, hope, and a belief in himself. The art world once dismissed his work as «too commercial, too simple». Today, his art is known across the globe and loved by the public. In his vibrant pieces, he showcases his optimistic, positive outlook on life.

Romero Britto is considered one of the most influential pop-art artists of our time. His colorful works have been exhibited in more than 120 countries, including at the renowned Carrousel du Louvre in Paris and in London’s Hyde Park. His art has also gained significant attention in the worlds of sports and pop culture: he designed the opening of Super Bowl XLI as its official artist.

We conducted an interview with him. His answers are not only candy-colored but also insightful – responses from an artist determined to draw out life’s most beautiful facets. And who does so with great success.

Interview with Romero Britto

How do you personally define the difference between optimism and naivety today?

Optimism is a conscious choice – an act of courage to believe in the possibility of a better tomorrow, even when the reality is challenging. Naivety ignores complexity; optimism acknowledges it, but still chooses hope. My work is rooted in that brave optimism.

Which early experiences from Recife keep reappearing in your current visual language and colorways?

Growing up in Recife, my world was filled with vibrant colors – from the markets and the ocean to the joy of people who had very little but shared a lot. That energy, resilience, and warmth are in every color and pattern I paint. Recife taught me that colors can lift the spirit – and it’s still my mission to bring happiness to the world.

Your visual language makes use of universal symbols – hearts, stars, smileys. What do these symbols mean to you on a very personal level?

They’re positive emotional shortcuts. A heart to me is a hug; a star is a wish; a smiley is a reminder to celebrate the moment. These symbols speak to the child inside all of us – including me.

You radically reduce complexity. What is the most complex thing you’ve ever radicalized?

The main theme of my art – love and happiness – is in itself very complex and multilayered. My work distills those emotions into a simple and uplifting visual message that anyone, anywhere, can immediately recognize and feel. Everyone wants to be happy. Actually, the main purpose of art is to evoke emotions, not to be technically complicated. It was my choice to speak a language through my art that billions of people can understand and connect with, rather than one that only a few thousand might.

Do you believe that «joy» is an aesthetic state – or a social value?

Both. Joy has beauty – it changes how we perceive the world – but it is also a social responsibility. Joy shared becomes connection, and connection builds community.

Which color is indispensable to you today – and why?

Yellow. To me, yellow is sunlight, warmth, and optimism. It’s the first color that can transform a canvas into something hopeful.

Is there a color you love but rarely use because it feels «too powerful»?

I use all the colors. Colors are very important in evoking happiness in an artwork and bringing life to an environment. Nevertheless, I rarely use shades of gray in my compositions.

At what moment in your process do you say «that’s enough»? When do you know a painting is finished?

When the artwork feels like it can «smile» on its own – when it radiates energy without me needing to add one more line or dot. I stop when the joy can stand on its own two feet.

How do commissioned works influence your visual language – and how do you protect your artistic autonomy in the process?

Commissions bring new stories, cultures, and dreams into my universe – they expand me. But I always bring them into my visual language, not the other way around. My artistic spirit guides the collaboration, so the work remains authentically Britto.

What connects you to Art on Ice?

The belief that art should be an experience of joy. Art on Ice blends movement, music, and imagination – it’s like watching happiness dance. That resonates deeply with what I try to inspire in people. Art is too important not to share and should be experienced fully with all our senses and in our everyday lives, whether through a canvas, a product, or a show.

What do you expect from the Art on Ice production?

Magic! I hope the audience feels transported into a world of color, happiness, and celebration – a moment where art brings joy and people together.

Pop art is always about branding, too. How do you distinguish BRITTO® the brand from Britto the person – not morally, but formally and aesthetically?

BRITTO® the brand is a platform – a way for art to enter daily life through products, experiences, and collaborations. Britto the person is the artist, philanthropist, and dreamer behind it. The brand amplifies the mission of sharing happiness in the world; the person nurtures the purpose by doing what I love the most, which is painting, creating, and promoting my art and its philosophy.

Is there an element in your work that functions as a kind of hidden personal identifier?

Yes, elements that I call «btos,» which are fragments of my signature throughout the artwork. Parts of it might look like the Pi (the Greek letter «π»), which is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant.

What has Pop Art given you – and what have you given back to it?

As the founder of The Happy Art Movement, I have definitely been influenced by Pop Art and its icons, such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. I hope I’ve given art more joy, more color, and a global embrace by making it part of everyday life in many different respects, whether through a painting on canvas, a mug, a sneaker, or a show like Art on Ice.

Is there an iconic work in art history that, in a surprising way, feels related to your own artistic attitude?

Picasso and Henri Matisse’s cut-outs. They’re joyful, bold, simple yet profound. They celebrate life with clarity and color – something that really speaks to me.

How has your relationship with lines changed over the past ten years?

My lines have become more confident – freer but more intentional. They’re like the rhythm in music: once you’ve mastered it, you can play with it and create entire worlds.

What role does childlikeness play in your work – is it more of an attitude or a visual device?

It’s an attitude. Children approach the world with curiosity, honesty, and joy. I try to keep that spirit alive. Pablo Picasso used to say, «It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.»

What is the most challenging motif you’ve ever had to simplify without making it banal?

Human relationships. Love, family, togetherness. Simplifying them visually while keeping the emotional complexity is one of my biggest artistic challenges.

If you were to introduce a new form (besides hearts, stars, etc.), which archetype do you think is still missing?

I don’t think anything is missing, since that’s my artistic language; however, as an artist and person, I’m always innovating, evolving, and creating.

How important is the legibility of your images to you – and how much ambiguity do you allow?

Legibility matters because I want art to invite people in. The message has to be clear and not overcomplicated; however, I do sometimes leave space for personal interpretation, especially in abstract paintings – a little mystery, so every person can discover their own meaning. For me, the most important aspect of any art is to be able to evoke visceral emotions.

Do you believe that your visual language will become more colorful or more pared back in 20 years’ time?

We never know. As an artist, I’m constantly evolving and not afraid of bold moves or changes. Nevertheless, I can tell you that the colors will always be there, one way or another, to celebrate life, love, and happiness.

What is the most dangerous compliment someone could give you?

I take both compliments and criticism as personal feedback and an opportunity for reflection, especially if from collectors, supporters, friends, or fans. I don’t see any as dangerous.

What form of happiness are you not yet able to paint?

At this stage in my career, I believe I’ve been able to paint most of them.

What future form of happiness would you like to paint one day – one that you can’t yet define?

A form of happiness that belongs to the future – shaped by unity, technology, sustainability, and global empathy. I don’t know its visual shape yet, but I can feel it coming.

Do you have a longing that you haven’t yet been able to put across in a tangible form?

I can’t think of one right now, but I’m sure there is one. The most important thing in the life of an artist is to have creative freedom and to be able to continue painting with passion.

What question would you have liked to ask yourself earlier in life – and what would your answer be today?

«Are you allowing yourself to dream big enough?» My answer today: always dream even bigger – because dreams are the beginning of everything, and dreaming big takes the same effort as dreaming small. Be optimistic, find purpose in life and what makes you happy.

If you were a color yourself, which would you be?

A radiant yellow – because I want to bring warmth, hope, and happiness wherever I go.

ART ON ICE 2026: colors that warm the ice

It all starts with a crackling sound – not caused by frost, but by color. A quiet breath, the first swing of the blade over the mirror-like surface, and, with that, the stage starts to unfurl like a picture book that someone has opened at just the right moment: Art on Ice 2026. And right in the middle of it all: Romero Britto. A man who doesn’t paint color, but breathes it. Whose lines don’t draw contours, but horizons. His story glides onto the ice, seamlessly, as if it has always belonged there – in this world that doesn’t preach joie de vivre, but lives it.

Britto’s colors don’t overwhelm us; they engross us. His paintings take us by the hand like an old friend who has long known that we too often linger in the twilight of everyday life. And so he draws us in – into these vibrant worlds of emotion, the doors to which we open far too rarely. There, we rock to and fro on an emotional swing: forward and backward, gusto and gentleness, lighting up and letting go. And gradually our sense of awareness sharpens. Our awareness of warmth from the heart. Of optimism. Of what remains when the grayish hue of everyday life fades like snow under a morning sun.

The colorful encounter with Romero Britto’s eternal message – please come in; the world is full of love, joy, and happiness – unfolds before us. The path that brought him here is a marvel of colors and willpower. In the favelas of Brazil, he painted on scraps of paper as a child, driven by hope and the quiet conviction that color was stronger than his roots. The art world called him «too commercial, too simple» – yet Britto continued to paint, painting against the narrowness, painting himself out into a world that eventually painted back: with recognition, with affection, with global resonance. Today, his works hang in over 120 countries, shining in the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris and London’s Hyde Park. His colors opened Super Bowl XLI and permeated pop culture like a shower of sparks. Britto, the world’s most-licensed artist, is not only a creator of shapes but a translator of optimism. A man who speaks about hope at the World Economic Forum in Davos, while those who steer the fate of the world sit before him. And us? We had the chance to speak with him. His answers are candy-colored and yet clairvoyant. They sound like micro-manifestations of a life that refuses to believe in anger or cynicism. Britto shows us the beauty that remains when the heart takes the lead.

He’s the perfect match for Art on Ice 2026. Britto’s art isn’t decoration, nor a backdrop – it’s actual movement itself. His story, his colors, and his unwavering belief in what is good flow into a sweeping mosaic of sound, dance, and poetic skating. And so the ice will not simply be a stage during the upcoming year, but a radiant tableau where Britto’s world lives on: a world that reminds us that joy is a decision – and color a promise.

A promise that’s never broken.