Caio Caldas
MA Graphic Communication Design – Central Saint Martins, 2022
Caio Caldas is a Brazilian artist, illustrator and graphic designer based in London. After graduating in Communication and Advertising from the University of Brasília, Caldas moved to the UK to pursue a Graduate Diploma in Art and Design at the Royal College of Art and later a Master's Degree in Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, UAL.
With a multidisciplinary approach to image making that ranges across different media; encompassing drawing, publication and moving image; Caldas investigates the aesthetics of pop culture in the internet age to create fun and often humorous cartoonish illustrations.
The internet and digital tools introduced a shift in both visual qualities and mental processes in art: Emphasizing speed of both production and assimilation; flatness replaces depth and perspective, solid color replaces light and texture, geometric forms replace anatomy and symbols replace expression.
In his present body of work, Caldas reinterprets everyday sights, such as a cityscape or a desktop computer display, through digital drawing. In this way, he aims to paint a picture of a generation whose worldview and sense of perception were, in many ways, shaped by mass media. He uses bold, bright colors and simple flat shapes, and doesn't shy away from the industrial look of thick computer-emulated pen strokes and vector formats. Additionally, Caldas enjoys using humour to address big topics in a lighthearted, joyful way.
Instagram: @caiorcaldas
"I would like my work to live on the intersection between art/expression and product (in pop art tradition) and I would like it to ultimately make art more accessible. I also like when people smile after looking at my pieces."
