How He Became the Most Licensed Artist of All Time | Romero Britto

All right. Well, listen.

You just you just said a little bit a while ago, you know, I'm saying something about an artist, but I'm going to tell you something. You know me how I am. I don't get very impressed by many people. I'm just I'm just

Yeah, I know. I know. I know.

You know how I am.

You have a short list of people who've impressed you.

I have a very short list of people that impressed me. But when we said that we were going to come and interview this gentleman, I said, I'm I'm, you know, I'm dropping everything just to come over here

and be part of this podcast because, you know, to be interviewing Romero Brito, the grand Romeroto is I think for us that's big time. This to show you where a day in Miami has reached. Yep. Yep.

You know, so welcome to the podcast, Romero. Thank you so much for joining.

Oh, my pleasure. I mean what I heard that you know Justin was re reaching out for me just you know the boo was reaching out to interview me of course I mean

and yeah and shout out to the to the family and for making this happen that's our other that's our podcast dad

it's funny cuz Juan Juan has no Instagram

no

and we did an episode with him and he was like I keep getting a bunch of calls now of everyone saying they saw me on these videos you know.

Yeah I know that's what happened when you're famous. Yeah, he's a super super he's influential because he loves the attention. He just can't be on Instagram because of you know certain job things that he does uh with like cyber security and stuff. So he's not allowed to have an Instagram but uh nevertheless he's an interesting person but I think you know you're more interesting than he is right now cuz

I think he's the most interesting person right now for sure 100%.

Oh my goodness. Have you guys been comparing? Okay, fine. Oh man. No. I mean, listen, after

after after after just, you know, finishing up, you know,

you know what I'm saying? More or less, we were watching the I mean, not watching, we took the tour,

which by the way, again, I mean, I know you guys, we're going to show a little bit of clips of this. I mean, this is beyond the word impressive. Yeah.

I mean, the word impressive is not even, you know, in the vocabulary of what you have here. This is this is crazy. This shows

years and years of dedication. Yes.

And it shows how your success has grown and you can I you can see it from every wall that your assistant took us through.

You know what I'm saying? Where success took you. I mean, it's big time.

I feel like I went through like a history lesson.

100%. 100%.

So, I'm by no way, shape, or form a collector of art, you know, although I love it and my daughter's in it and I know of you a lot and I've seen your I actually have some of your art in my house. The few art that I do have.

No, thank It's the arm like this, you know, and I have above my doorway.

I'm not sure if it's a replica or not. I don't think it's authentic. You know, somebody gifted it to me.

It's a replica. [laughter]

We're going to get into that.

I'll find out how to how can I can you can you double check this one, please? Pero, I had no idea the level of extent you have had in in in licensing, in the culture, in the history. You you pretty much been all over the world, you know. It's incredible. Um, take us back a little bit to and I'm sure a lot of people have told you how you started, but tell us a little bit about how you started in Brazil.

Oh, well, I mean, I I grew up in a in a town called Recipe Recipe in Brazil, northeast of Brazil and uh reminds me a little bit of Miami because it's close to the water and uh used to be a fisherman village.

Oh, nice.

But now it's a it's a big city in that part of Brazil and I grew up in a very big family. Uh my mother was pregnant like 12 times. Only nine of us survived and uh I'm one of the youngest one.

Okay.

And I my dream was about was being a diplomat. I wanted to be a diplomat.

Politics.

I wanted to be an ambassil.

Oh, I love that. Okay.

Uh not necessarily because I wanted to be in politics, but I just want to change my life. I wanted to travel the world and meet different people, speak different languages. And uh but there was a point when I was in law school, I realized how miserable I was. And then that's when I I quit law school and the idea of being a diplomat and then I pursued my art. I always like art since I was a kid.

But I never thought I would go anywhere with my art. So and um and at at the same time I I was trying my life outside of Brazil.

Yeah.

That's when I come to visit a friend of mine here in Miami and I love so much Miami. I went back to Europe because I had to spend one year there. And when I went back to Europe, I realized that my place was here. I wanted to be in a place very dynamic like Miami. And I come back in here and I live here for about 40 years.

Yeah.

Wow. And you have like a little military background, they said.

Yes, I went to the army. I went to the army in Brazil. Yeah. I spent one year in the army in a in a special school, you know, the military military school.

Wow. That's incredible. I mean that that's that that kind of is a good story. Here you go. You say wait I want to be an attorney and then all of a sudden an attorney I said no because you have to take a chance because in the fact of saying that you know how all parents I I always say this story years ago all parents were you got to become either a doctor or an attorney. A doctor or an attorney you know all the other professions you're like

you know

well I mean I never really wanted to be an attorney. I went I did I went to law school because I I needed to have a degree to be able to go to a diplomatic school. I wanted to be a career diplomat

and then that's why the I was told the best degree would be law school and then I did go but I never dreamed about being a lawyer. I wanted to be a diplomat. I wanted to change my life. fun to travel the world as I say meet people speak different languages and um but then when I was in law school it was the best thing I did go to law school because then if I did not go to law school I would never quit

the idea of being a diplomat you know and then I would be maybe a a very unhappy diplomat somewhere out there

but with all the connections you have you've never got on the call like Mr. Do you want to be ambassador to Brazuno?

Do you know I did I

Cuz I'm sure you could call the favor and get it done.

No, no, no. I I did have [snorts] There was moments that people were talking about that, but I was like, "No way. I would not." No, that's not what I want.

There's my money in this now.

I'm so happy to be here. The life of a diplomat. I realize how miserable it is because they keep traveling. They keep moving cities and you know when everything's set and done you have to go to a new place

and depend on if you are very good if you have very good connections you have very good friends you end up lend you end up going to a major city like going to Washington or going to Tokyo or going to Paris or London be to one of the major cities otherwise going to be sent somewhere like without no

excitement in life and stuff.

Yeah. Um, one of the things that I saw when I walked in here was the red carpet that I was told that's the same red carpet that they use in was it the Grammys or the

Oscars? The same. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Incredible.

I paid attention.

You paid attention. [laughter]

No, that was so many so many pieces that I saw.

No, listen. And I was really wow.

Yeah. And one of the most impressive stuff is of course all the invites that you have. I mean, I was just I was sharing with my with my daughter

uh the invite from um Buckingham Palace.

Oh, yes.

You know what I'm saying? The the the Buckingham Palace. So, take just before we get because I mean we don't have all the we can be here for, you know, uh three days interviewing you, but what goes through when you see all this art? I mean, you you try and get into artist's head. What goes through Romero Burrito's head when you're saying this is what I want to paint today? This is is it just something that you you thought about that day or something that you just woke up or something that inspired you? What goes through your your mind like that?

First of all, I have a lot of ideas. The biggest problem,

the biggest challenge that I have is the time to do everything, you know, but ideas, I have a lot. One thing that I I start doing early on is that whenever any any time that I have ideas to do my work or anytime that I have the time to do my work, I do as much as as possible sketches because if you put out you is a little bit like if you write it down everything you have in your mind, you go back and you you're going to realize how much ideas you had, but you have to write it down. And the way an artist can do is creating sketches, starting something new because once you start it is that there's a beginning there any moment that you that you know any moment that you don't have an idea which is very rare to me. I don't have the time but ideas I have and and is already something going you know I mean I have so much work in progress. It's very important to have a lot of work in progress. And whenever you stop to do your work, you you let's say you write down as much as possible. you do as many sketches as possible, as many ideas because the execution of the idea, that's the biggest challenge for anybody, you know, because it takes time to, you know, like let's say if I'm an architect or a person who's an architect and have ideas of whatever buildings or space or interiors, ideas is plent of it, but execution, build up, it takes time.

Well, he's built a machine here. You have you have great staff, right? And I was going to ask uh considering you're the number or the most licensed artist in the world right now

in history.

In history. Wow. It's incredible.

Of all time.

Of all time. So you got a lot of work.

It's a lot of it's a lot of work. It's a big freaking responsibility when Listen, it is not me saying that. I know CNN did that whole story on me and then they study and research everywhere.

Never.

And then they came out with that. I was like, "Oh my." Even for myself, I freaked out.

So, how many hours? Like, you would I mean, I would think I see you like that the most licensed. I think you're hanging out and that's it. You know, you're counting like, "Hey, that's it." You know, I'm going to go to the, you know, just not really not as involved. Yeah. You know, it's just automatic.

You're still very involved in painting. How many hours a week or a month are you actually investing in you actually painting? You paint daily or

Every day I wake up the morning is all around my work. It's been like this for many, many years. And I think it's very helpful if you're focusing what you want to do. I can go to a party is not like a disconnect myself. If I going to be able to meet anybody in that party that's going to be beneficial to my art and to my life. I'm definitely open. I'm not like disconnected. I'm If I'm going to the beach and meet a collector, I'm talk to the collector.

Whatever I'm going if somebody come to talk to me, I'm talking. I'm open to I'm open for business 24/7.

I like that. I like that.

Do you know what I mean?

I like that. I mean like some people like well I'm in a vacation. Well I'm on a vacation but I still I'm in a party. I'm still I'm still you know what I you know

I cannot be divided by three people. I'm one person.

You know what I love to always say money never sleeps.

Yeah. I'm not I'm not like some people you know say oh my god I'm I'm no longer working. I cannot divide myself. I'm an artist. I'm Romero. I'm Romero. I'm an artist. I'm I'm one person. Do you ever have you ever had occasions and that you have a request that you said, "No, I'm not going to do that." Do you reject people a lot or

I I've done I've done some project that I didn't want to do like do something with with cigarettes and certain thing that would wouldn't go along with me. Yes, I've done

so align to your brand. Yeah, I want

maybe at the time in which

I always want to do something that would go along with me, you know, along with what I believe and things that's healthy, something that's beautiful. I I never want to do anything that's going to be like somebody pay me a lot of money to for me to do uh one of those uh one of those uh

NFTs

NFTs and I was an

and and then the guy say I don't need the original, I just need to the digital thing. I say fine. And then he come back say I want to pay a lot of money to for you to create a video burning the original. I was like no way. I'm not going to burn the original. I mean imagine how many people has my art and see me like burning an original paint. I was like no. It's like I wouldn't do that.

That's pretty crazy. But you know what?

I don't even know if you want to talk about this but I saw that video that went viral about the lady that threw that thing. Do you want to talk about that or

No, we can't talk about

I was just curious to know because I saw a lot of rumors. What was it that actually happened? What was I saying? It was years ago. It was years ago.

If you have a chance to see what happened there, even myself, I totally forgot.

Sorry, sorry, sorry. Just to give him context, you know,

he was at an art. It was in link roller store, right? Some lady comes in and she grabs a piece and she's You can't really tell what they're talking about.

She just smashes on the floor, you know, and then she starts saying things that you don't understand. Sorry. Sorry. Go for

Yeah. No, no. Millions of people saw that. I mean, like, I was the other day at the airport in Switzerland and this guy came to me and he's like, "Are you the artist with the apple?" I was like I was like what's it was like and the guy I mean he wouldn't know about if didn't happen the epothetic pro I don't know if he would know but it was so tra traumatic that even for somebody out there in the world it's like I anyway but what happened is that I I was having I only remember that because she herself spoke the reason the three reasons why she did that because I totally forgot because was this happened like seven years ago.

Yeah, I remember

it just came back twice like crazy. Anyway, so she give an interview and she say the reason I did that because Mr. Burrito was rude to my my staff. Got you.

And then the how rude was number one 9:00 in the morning I decided about having a staff meeting on Lincoln Road my staff and then I thought why we don't do one of those cafe there. So I was like, let's go to a cafe. And then 9 in the morning, the music, they put the music for some reason like it was 9 in the evening. Freaking blasting. And I was like, we having a meeting here. Do you mind to turn down or turn off, I don't know,

right,

the music? That was I asked

and then here the restaurant totally empty. And then we are having a conversation here with my staff, which is private, you know, about business. And then all the waiters, the people there came to around the table like is it okay for you guys bring the food, the breakfast and just leave us. That was it.

Right.

The third one is that when I left I say she said that I said which I don't remember. Would you mind the next time give me a better discount? That was it. Makes sense.

I was like, I mean, I'm a customer

that you said that

that I say

to get a better discount.

A better discount. You know, I mean, would somebody get upset like that? If you go to a restaurant, ask the music to be lower or can you please let me talk to my team or my loved one, my family. I don't want, you know, to people to be like sitting on the table, listen to your conversation like right there. The restaurant was empty. Of course, you know, I mean, you have to understand the level that was was not because of that. It was somebody like attention and anyway, that's

Well, it was Yeah, it it was so forgettable that I don't even know about it. So, it's okay,

you know. I mean,

but for the record, you're one of the nicest people that I mean, we've we've interviewed over 200 people already. You're one of the nicest people that I've ever met. I mean, for no reason at all. We just met him today.

Yeah. He's super gracious. I've been to places that you've been I've never really approached. You know what I'm saying? I'm very like that. I'm very respectful.

You can always say hello.

No, but I'm very respectful in that situation.

But I could see how someone feels like, you know, they don't want to bother you. You know, I've seen you before, too. I never wanted to go bother you. Actually, I think you were at the E1

at the E1 B. I saw you there by the bay. I was going to go say, you know what? And that was when he already told me they were going to interview you and I said, let me go introduce myself. I already had drinks and I'm like, I I'll just see him another time.

I probably told you, don't do that.

Yeah. I was like, I'll see him. But you were around there. Mark Anthony, all those guys, you know. Yeah.

That video is like, oh, I see it.

Knowing him, he probably wanted knowing me. If I say leave the guy alone, do not go over there and do not make a spectacle. Do not be saying hi to people right now. Take a Jill Romero. I had I had my Let's stick on the subject of this licensing situation.

When you know it takes a big big army to do this. We just went through and for the people of view that hear this, we just went through the whole area of of a department where people are showing stuff of to see what is is viable or not viable to get licensed. And you know, I feel like I feel like I'm in like the North Pole like with, you know, Santa's helpers. You know what I'm saying? Oh, everybody up there and everybody's like,

you know, checking and hit, you know, I saw people with luggages. Is does this is this good? Is that bad? I mean, you really, this really goes through an intense intense process. It's crazy

the amount of the stuff that you have up there. When I asked, you know, um, Alice, I go, "What is he?" Oh, those are all things that have to be, you know, viewed and tested and see if we if we want to, you know, partner with him. What is that feeling? I mean, when do you when do you get to a point that you say, "Okay, wait, enough. I can't license anything else." or you know

the beautiful thing that the world is out there. There's a there's a big world out there and there's so many people even though my art is so well known out there but there's so many people there I want to reach out you know so there's

billions of people out there like from India and China and you know Asia different parts of Asia I mean it's amazing Latin America the world is out there so it's a beautiful thing that's a lot of to be done still

so I'm I'm I'm curious on the business side of it let's say I mean you've done Super Bowls you've done world cups you've worked for countries for, you know, etc. There's nothing that I feel like you have not done yet. Um, but can you tell me a little behind the scenes of hanging out here? How does it work? The phone picks up. Hey, we want you to work uh Super Bowl 54, you know? Okay. What are you doing? How do you organize a team?

We have to think about it or do we just jump into it?

How what what's the process? What are you What are you doing there? You get one of those big calls to do a world event. So I mean when uh like tonight I'm going to have dinner with the co fe. So when the co fe you know call his office call and say hey I went to visit Romero's studio and he came over here he got excited to see my art. He got to know about my art because of his son and uh his son spoke about my art to him and he and I said of course I've seen his work and he went to come and visit. He came over here and end up doing the feed you know um we did the launch of the bridto Leno which you see here. I saw the vehicle outside. Yeah. Beautiful.

And now we're going to be doing limited edition. I mean, it's so many of my projects very organic. You know, the people they reach out to us. We don't reach out to nobody. And u and then if it's something that goes along with with my art is about happiness and uh sharing, you know, image of beautiful things in life, you know, and and then we go, okay, we do it.

But the situation, for example, that you did a sewer bowl, right? Right. I think it was one of the most It was the the only live action Super Bowl they had these pieces

ever. Yes.

Yeah. On the

That was the one with Gloria.

Yeah. Are are you are you like your your position there is the art director of that? Are are you like part of the production side? Like

the the producer of the Super Bowl of of who was producing the Super Bowl,

you know, David Salt, he unfortunately he passed away. But David Salt reach out and they say, "Romero, I can't imagine seeing your piece my piece of art of yours moving in the field in the opening Super Bowl and who's going to be doing the halftime show is Prince." I was like, "Oh, that's amazing." And then immediately I thought I immediately I thought because I was in discussion for quite a while with circul and then I was like maybe Gila Liberte will be the one to help me to create this movement. So I reach out to Gee and G say Romero perfect. I reach out to Gloria Stefan to do the introduction and she say yes Romero. And I have a very funny story because I was going to Gloria Stefan in in my car in a Mustang 1968.

Nice.

With with the writer of the New York Times and then I couldn't see if my car had gas enough or not. On the bridge to Star Island, my car run out of gas.

No way. and we have to push that car and me the journalist and I asked my assistant to bring the guest from somewhere and never forget about that. It was very funny and I had also with me JLR this guy this friend of mine that he flew to Miami just to see that he's the one who started the he's invented the Xbox so JR worked for Microsoft Bill Gates and then he he was there. So I have the the the journalist Jay myself and then my my assistant shows up bring the gas but uh you know it it happened very organically. I mean there's so many moments I'm traveling somewhere I meet people or they just they just reach out you know there you go you know like when I did Coca-Cola Pepsicola those people did they reach out to me.

Yeah. Is there ever a situation where I mean I'm sure things may go wrong or bad where you're just not like happy with the end partnership. If you're like you know it's not possible I should have done

you know very rarely I have situation to get into a project that you know I got the fight with the people very I've been very lucky the people the companies that I work with the collectors that you know collect my work I've been very lucky on that end I'm not the the type of person to create a lot of problem you know I'm very easygoing to work with and uh and I'm making sure that everybody you know I'm not the kind of also artist that would say, "Hey, um, if I have a commission on a project, I I give more than I should, more than I'm getting most of the time. I put I put myself out there more. And I know stories of artists that somebody commission a painting, they do smaller. [clears throat]

If I am, if I'm able to give you more, I give you more. You go above and beyond less. I go above and beyond because I want people to be happy. I don't want people to succeed. I don't want to do a project that somebody's not going to succeed.

But I think that's helped you also

from my side. I give all I can.

But I think that's helped you become mainstream become a mainstream artist. You know, like you have the luxury high-end art, but you're also for the people, you know, and

I I definitely I want to share my work with with as many people as possible.

How was it? You know, we were going over the whole thing and I was I was looking how did it feel for you to go back to when you went to Rio and they did that whole beautiful thing of carnival of of Brito that I mean that

that was amazing.

That has to be something out of like

that has to really say when you say wow I I reached the top to know that I'm coming back to my country especially everybody knowing the you know how fun you know carnival is.

Carnival I mean what what was that experience? The highest moment of celebration of Brazil is carnival. And to do the opening ceremony of carnival in Rio de Janeiro, it's like insane. Most of the time happened when your dad,

right?

Like you're right.

So did you have a feeling or did did you get a you know was a surprise for you a real surprise or was a talk already about about this situation? Well, when they when I got the call from the school assemb to go there, visit the school assemb meet the people blah blah blah even though I didn't design that they are the one who did the whole thing inspired in my art because it was an homage to my work

I did go there to see if I you know they ask me mostly to you know if anything I can say but there was the artistic director who was coordinating everything

and worked out beautifully and uh you know they create the samba they did the choreography they did all the customs and millions of people saw all that as part of the history of carnival in Brazil. I'm so honored, so grateful that they select they invited me to do such thing.

I mean, I mean, when I saw that there, I mean, that must be such a high high mark. So, knowing that you're saying, "Wow, they're bringing me back." I mean, you know, I haven't been to Carnival, but I mean,

it was insane.

I I know everybody tells me it's like one of the It's on my bucket list. It It is the one.

You got to go. You got to go. My son was there with me and uh he had the best time was my son was living in Japan.

I heard that part of your culture is that if something wrong happens, just pivot and make it work.

Well, I mean the Brazilians are very good about figuring out things, you know. I mean, it's like uh there's always a way to figure out things and uh well, yeah, it's great.

Tell me a little bit the the story regarding you you're getting ready for a client. You're in Windwood, your old uh art warehouse, right? You do a nice painting outside and then the next day you come and

Oh yeah.

some people painted across it.

Oh no no no. Many many people when I moved to Winwood you know because Winwood was dead and when I move in there little by little the community start happening a lot of more artists and um as you can remember Winwood a lot of artists painted the walls.

Yes. And then one day when graffiti artists come and anyway my wall was like was nothing with my my work and there was few Asian and real estate say oh Romero you should paint your walls and I asked myself I don't even have time to me to paint my art imagine to be painting walls there was a time for that I can't and one day I have this special guest from Brazil huge collectors by the last safer this very wealthy family from Brazil. So, they would come to see my studio. And then I was like, you know what? I really want them to have a nice impression. I don't want them to think I'm in the slums of Miami. So, I was like, "Okay, all right. I'm not going to be able to paint this building, but I have I have a thought." I asked somebody, somebody that worked for me, a group of people. I say, "Paint the whole building black." Because it was huge. This wall, right?

My studio was 40,000 square feet there. Here's like 20,000 more.

And uh so I had everything painted black and I have huge stickers being produced of flowers, hearts and and it bec became really nice. And the night before um my friends from Brazil, collectors, the Saffra family came to see me. Somebody decided about you know you know

vandalized

vandalized my installation and I was like I was so taken. I was so dis disappointed. I was upset and blah blah blah. And uh but then I thought you know what I need to do something. I mean it was like so I went I went to Home Depot. At that time I had this car that I take care of my car so well and then I went to Home Depot and I fill it up that car with rollers and paint and spray paint and then I start writing me you know

correct

words of inspiration, respect, so many things and uh and I transformed that incident to something really different and then across the street I went across the street and look at the walls and I was like wow I create my first graffiti wall street wall and I was like let's photograph this and the more I thought I was like let's do a print called the studio and the print I wanted to do something that everybody could buy one right

I did an additional 1,000 we sold so fast I did few additions of that I did changes

and because of the the realization that I had uh of the reaction that people are having with my art as usual is very clean and perfect the polka dot the stripe and with the splash of paint that I threw in there and words blah blah blah very very organic and then

I was like something is happening people like the idea of the perfect together with not perfect

organized chaos

organized chaos so basically I start a whole new style a whole new thing like because of this situation whoever did did the best thing and I really thank you for that person

because it pushed me to do something that was always not

avoiding because I wanted my life to be and everything around me to be so organized because I grew up in a very chaotic setup in in my in my home and um my art was the only space that I have control and I wanted to be perfect and that person pushed me back

to do something like totally different and I don't know who did that but

did they ever come out like excuse It was us. No.

Can I get some royalty pushing that for you guys?

Oh, no. No. No. But you know what? I didn't listen. What I've done was totally different for what they pushed me to do. It was almost like somebody say, can you do cake? But you really wanted to do like panetoni and it was the oh, you want to do a pizza?

Yeah.

You know, but just the fact that somebody push you to do a paneton and you did a pizza, you feel like, oh my god, I would never get out of my comfort zone if somebody didn't push me to do that. So anyway,

so you you you started selling art at the beach in Brazil.

Well, I start I start showing my work in the streets.

In the streets

in Brazil and here in the sidewalks in Coconut Grove. When I tell this to people, they feel like what you say. Yeah. I start showing my work in the sidewalk.

What year was that Roman more or less?

Like in the 80s, like 86. Yeah.

Okay.

Like a long time ago. I don't know if you were born.

Oh, two years later. [laughter]

Yeah, that's a good one for him.

He's going to love that. Love it, brother. I was born three years after party a lot.

I'm a I'm a proud 57 year old. Proud 57 year old. And I say 8 imagine

86. We would always talk about that because those were great years of coconut growth.

Yeah, it was beautiful. Right.

It was beautiful. And I was I was in high school. I was

before Coco Walk, you know. And then I got my student Coco in in at the Mayfair. I stayed there for five years and then from there I moved to Lincoln Road.

Yeah.

And I stay in Lincoln Road. for years. I still have the gallery in Lincoln Road.

Listen, I grew up seeing that because I would go through grow, you know, I saw everything. I was always there

and you would see how you had your all your stuff and everything of Romeo. I mean, I remember now back back then you would remember

I I show I show my work there. I was selling work on newspaper like work for $10, $20, $40.

You still have any of those available or

Oh, no. Listen, we sold No, we sold some half a million.

Half a million dollars for a million dollars. Yeah.

Not at that price point anymore. that price point.

Oh, no. I wanted to buy those for even more.

We were watching it with your assistant and she was showing us

she was showing us the one that you did in the beach and we kept on commenting. Imagine the people in in when she said that you painted on the back of the newspaper.

Imagine the people that bought that nowadays. Have you ever

maybe gotten a message or a letter from

Oh, no. I have funny stories. I have

I bought one of you.

Oh, no. I I do have a lot of funny stories about that. I mean like there was once this guy that uh when I moved to Miami I you know I met a bunch of people here and one of them was a the consil general of Brazil and he told me well there's a lawyer that has an office in BCO and he loves art he loves Brazil he does a lot of thing for us I went to his office he couldn't see me and I left a lot of my work with the price and that the secretary put around the office and weeks go by I go pick it up and she said a bunch of people bought a bunch of your work in here.

Oh wow.

You know, I was like, "Wow." Years go by, I was selling my work already in Ball Harbor in a gallery in Ball Harbor shops

and then somebody walk into the shop, buy one of my new paintings. And then when the guy, this is the guy telling me the story,

the collector, he say, "When I got your work to my building, the doorman told me, "Oh, this is Romero breed. You know, he used to sell work in the street, works on newspaper and the guy for some reason remember buying that work on newspaper alone. He say he went to his storage looking for and he say now I had I realized I had two of your work

and this is the guy who paid more money in a galler in Ball Harbor. So anyway, in my documentary, I don't know if you have a chance, but if you go to Amazon Prime, you're going to be able to see Bre Doc and an hour and a half and there is actually two collectors that they are part of my documentary. They're very nice because most of the time collectors are very private and they, you know, they were viewing my work and and on the documentary shows them, you know, make the decision about buying two of my pieces and really nice people.

That's incredible. When when did you know like, okay, I'm on to something here, you know? Was there like a like a de facto moment where you're like, I think I could really like level up with this art?

Well, level up.

It was one moment that it was like is when I did Absolute Vodka. When I did Absolute Vodka,

they called you?

Yeah. Absolute Vodka. It was a huge coincidence because,

you know, I tried many many and I don't know if you know because since you you say you're 57.

Yes.

Okay. So, I don't know if you remember. Go ahead. No, you don't. Look, I was like a day more than 30. So there was a store here in Miami called Mato store. I don't know if you remember. I tried so many time to meet Mr. M because I re I thought you know no gallery's going to take my art because I tried galleries right and then I was like maybe a store I was like I was open to whatever. So I tried to call him many many times and he never pick up my car. And one day going to uh Bayside, I go to the store. Well, I went to Bayside to meet some people in the restaurant that they saw my work in the street and they never showed up. And then I went to the store and when I went to the store, I asked the guy, "Do you mind if I leave my portfolio here?" And when I walk around the mall Bayside, I come back and the guy say, "Oh, I showed this for Mr. M." And he he would like to talk to you. And Mr. M start showing well with the beginning going really quick in here but with the beginning Mr. M you know start showing my work and he's putting he put my work in the store in Bayside and he put like in Coconut Grove and he got a place also um at the bakery center the old one

the old bakery center sure

and um but it it was and that and that's when when Mr. to decide about opening a place in co in coconut gro and then made fair. um he put somebody to run this this place and at that time at that point I didn't have a car and one day that I went to pick up my money you know in at the bakery center he says to me I asked him how is the gallery going and he told me it's not going very well I going to close but if you want to stay there until the lease is over was a short-term lease

right

because he got a store and he opened a gallery but when I went there was not he opened a gallery what And what he did was he got a hair salon that was empty and he put a bunch of art all over. The first day I was there, there was hair on the place. People wash their head,

you know, and I clean everything. That first day I sold two piece of my work to a father and a son that walked in there. And that money I went and I bought paint and I paint the walls and mirrors all over. There was mirrors everywhere. And then Mr. M came and say, "Romero, what have you done? You should had asked authorization to paint the walls. All the walls were velvet, pink velvet, boy. And I paint everything white and the mirrors and I I paint over the mirrors. I stayed there for 5 years and that's where I met the people from Absolute Vodka." Because at the Mayfair House, I don't know if you know, there's still a small hotel there and they were staying there. And then I

they just renovated it recently. And then they walk into my place and I made a hair salon to look like a studio

and um and that's how the conversation came about. I had a little picture very small on the wall because I always like photograph a year a year or so before I came to live in US. I was in Europe for one year in different people's house, you know. It's like

it's a long

house surfing,

you know, not house surfing. I was just like because that made friendship anyway and uh and then there was a picture me and

Princess Swed of the princess from Sweden and then Mr. And I couldn't say what are you doing with this person here with the princess and then I was telling the story and then I was a moment for me to talk about my art blah blah blah blah and then he said you know I'm from a company called absur vodka and we work with artists and he said really he said yeah and I was like oh by that would be amazing I'm going to talk about your work and he spoke to my about my art to Michelle Rue and Michelle Ru one of the trips coming to Miami to see southern wines and spirit come to my studio at that moment it was the right moment for me Because Absolute Vodka when they commissioned Andy Warhol,

Absolute Vodka, nobody knew the vodka.

Correct.

So everybody knew.

Everybody knew Andy but not.

Yeah.

So Michelle said to himself, there was a point he said, you know what? Now everybody knows about Absur Vodka and I wanted he wanted he wanted to make the reverse. Before the product was not famous, the artist was very famous. the point that I came in the product was so famous

right

there's more people out there that knows Absolute Vodka great goose tequila whatever name

than Andy Waro Picasso Matis all those guys right

and he said now the product is going to make an artist unknown very famous

wow

and that's where I came in so you know and they put my work in everywhere was amazing

what year was that

was 89

89 wow Wow. Yeah.

So, you've been on a roll. 89 was about to think about 89. Absolutely.

No, I'm 62.

You don't look 62.

No, I don't look like I think

I feel like like 22. I do.

No. And you have good energy, too, you know? I keep on saying I'm just going to keep on saying I'm 60 so people say, "Wow." Talking about pieces, right? You have you have you have two pieces up there that I want to talk about. You have Bubbles.

Oh,

okay.

Right. That we saw you working on earlier. Talk to us a little about the relationship you had with Michael Jackson. You have a whole wall dedicated to him.

The king. I mean, I love I I wish I could have seen him live, man. I never saw got a chance to see him live.

Yeah. Well, the story about Michael Jackson is that I [clears throat]

I had a friend that lived in New York and then when 911 happened, uh this friend of mine, I was telling him because there was an article every I mean, there was articles everywhere about Michael Jackson got stuck in New York City because he did like a performance at the Mets Square Garden. And then I was telling my friend because the article was Michael Jackson want to make a benefit concert, you know, a CD. Yeah.

You know, to benefit the families of the victims. And I say to my friend, I would love to do something for Michael Jackson. And he said, "Romero, I introduced you to his his group."

And then my friend said, "Guess what? Michael Jackson love your work. He want you to come to Neverland to visit him." I was like, "Okay, I'll go." So I go to see Michael Jackson Neverland. And Michael got inspired to do a party for me there with my art. Wow. You know, and I did the cover for a CD blah blah blah blah. There was

You did a cover for his CD too.

I did a cover for a CD. Yes. So anyway, so was that's how I met Michael Jackson. So in one of the trips I was in Europe, I also saw him there in Germany. So

but I saw something out here that you had that uh Bubbles commissioned the painting.

So what happened there is the follow. Uh the the bubble painting the bond that I'm doing right now has nothing to do I mean yes and no. Yes, because I always like Michael Jackson and no, it was not Michael Jackson who asked me to do bubbles. I just I'm doing bubbles now. The piece I have that Babos did was there was an exhibition here in Miami of of chipes and monkey is a very you know and then one of my collectors from uh uh from England. She said Romero since you knew Michael Jackson since you you know love his music blah blah blah uh Bubba is going to have a show here and all the monkeys as well would you come for the show during Art Mazle. I was like, "Yeah, so good." And there was that piece over there and I got that piece for me which came with a little picture of Michael Jackson.

Yeah.

So I have the like artwork and then I was like, "One day I'm going to do a portrait of Bubbles." And finally I started sometime this year and I'm going to finish by the end of the year.

Yeah. It looks nice.

And the people that take care of bubbles now, they came to visit me with this collector of mine. It's super nice. Yeah. Oh, you even had he even has the little map of uh

if I knew that I would have I would I would have been a volunteer to take care of Bubbles

without but you know because but we were up there with him now when you we were very lucky to see you a little action there on the fact I mean that really goes down to one of the questions that we had which was you know what was that surprise what was that fan that really surprised you that really was surprised of your of your work? Was it just really Michael Jackson or who else out there of like artists or or singers, actors? Have you really, you know, not to put them in category, but that you can say, I never knew this person really loved my work so much, you know, as your

who you were surprised most about.

The king of England. He loves my art. There you go.

He love my art. I don't know if you know, but he paints as well. I have actually three watercolors. I have one here upstairs. I don't know if you saw next to the letter that he sent to me.

And uh and I have two in my apartment. Two watercolors.

Yeah.

Yes. I'm so honored that he has my art. And he got sculptures of my work as well. I did a portrait of his mother, the portrait of his son and his daughter-in-law, Kate.

Yeah.

And Prince William.

But you also have something out here regarding watercolors that you did with the with the Buffett family too that I saw.

Yes. Okay. The the story on the Buffet. I did a whole collection called the Thomas Buffett collection. I'm friends with Howard Buffett and his wife Lily um since before they got married and uh you know of course I saw Thomas as a little one growing

as a train

growing up and then during the pandemic.

Should you continue?

No. Yeah, good go for it.

So during the pandemic um they spend a lot of time here in Miami and then they came many times to paint with me in the studio and one day you know Thomas say oh Romero we should do watercolor. I was like, "Thomas, he's so brilliant." But of course with the mom so brilliant and the father is so brilliant. Of course, Tom is brilliant. And then I got a piece of paper because when I was a kid, I did a lot of watercolors as well. So I got a piece of paper, did a brush stroke with a very translucent red. Yeah. And when the paper dried, I draw over, you know, I did a brush stroke and the brush stroke I did a heart.

And I was like, "Wow, it looks so great." And I start having these ideas of doing so many other images. So during the pandemic, I did so many pieces inspired on that moment and uh and I have a collector of mine that she saw in my Instagram putting all those images and just start buying all of them. So I was like, "Oh my god, that's something another moment very special." It's why it's so important to keep an eye your ears very open

and I was like, "Wow, people like this one here too." So I was like, I gonna name this after Thomas. So I called the Thomas Buffet color.

That's amazing. That's a good one. I think I think uh if you don't mind me, you know, getting involved a little bit with your creative, I think you have another avenue you could take, too.

Which one is

When we were up there,

he had a painting, a portrait of one of his buddies and then he overlaid it with Darth Vader.

Oh yeah. Oh my god. Yeah. So c can you can you talk to us a little about that Darth Vader portrait and is that something that you know if people are the same or similar situations can they commission you to do things like that as well or

I don't know this front of his

well I think I think one of the thing that make me so happy in a way was sad the situation but I was very happy that this friend loves so much my work because it's know how many time you connect a place a people or something to a bad experience But let's say you go to to let's say a store, you have a bad experience with a with a salesperson, but you cannot stop loving the store or the designer or the food or let's say you go to Brazil or any country, you have a bad experience. You you don't connect to the whole nation. And it was the same thing. whatever experience he got with that person there, he didn't connect to my art and my art continue going and being part of his life

because he could just say, "I don't want Romero's art anymore here."

Yeah. He he he had called you, commissioned the piece to, you know, paint both him and his fiance at the time, I suppose.

Yep.

And then how much later did he say, "Hey, listen."

Oh, it was for

It took a while. Took a while.

Oh, it took a while. It took I thought it was like one of those like, you know, backtoback situations.

Change it quickly. change it quickly. I mean, but that was kind of that's kind of that's, you know, I thought it was kind of funny. I wanted to ask you something, but I don't know if you know, but story says that,

you know, Leonardo da Vinci paint several women on he paint someone made the cheese and finally, you know, he paint several women in one canvas because canvas was very rare and very, you know, paint was also very difficult to produce. But the Mona has several layers of different images underneath. But I also I was like I mean I don't know if I believe Instagram but I was looking at Instagram the other day and they were talking about the history of the Mona Lisa and apparently it wasn't even like one of his main like paintings you know that it came became famous after the fact like way after the fact.

Yeah. I mean I don't Yeah I don't know if you know but he was friends with the king of France. He he moved to France. He run away. He left Italy and then he ended up dying there. And um one of the the Mona Lisa became super famous also after she you know she was stolen

and stay for a while and disappear and that thing creates such a buzz and uh it just one of those things and and then to add it up you know the guy was you know very famous to the V.

Yeah but that that's what it was the Mona Lisa used to be like in the typical gallery area

painting. Yeah. It was a typical painting

and when they stole it and you know the headlines of the media started saying it's the number one artist or the the biggest the most expensive piece that was stolen from the place.

Yeah, there's beautiful paintings at the

I've seen it. I've seen it. Yeah. I mean they're always throwing stuff at activists and everything are always throwing stuff on it.

My I got a one that I really

There was a viral situation that

for the day the viral situation for the day. You know what I mean? When the monism was stolen.

Yeah.

Was a viral because it was everywhere.

Yeah. For those days. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I saw that's what it was. They was talking about the other day every med they said that the media created pretty the Mona Lisa's you know

um

fame

fame did it Romero. So my one other question that I have which a lot of people and I think for a lot of people don't understand when you do these licensing deals and these companies which one has been one that you really said wow this is this is huge apart from absolute but which one can you really tell me has been difficult to negotiate has there been like one that says wow these people

I'm so sorry but I can't say the name

hard ball

okay don't say the name I mean I've been as I told earlier I've been very lucky that most of the companies that I work with has been really really good

you know like amazing amazing people that been attracted to work with me and my art very very very I cannot

Yes I mean I've been very

I was curious to know a little bit because I'm very big fan of theirs too but uh your relationship with the Arison family I saw the pictures up there you're always smiling in those pictures with them they seem like like a like like a happy family. Happy happy family.

I love them. They're like family to me, you know.

They're good people. Yeah. I mean, Nick Erison's been great.

Nick Harrison, Meline is like they're like my sisters and brothers and cousins. They're like so wonderful to me. Um, you know,

how did that start about? How did that relationship start?

How it started? Oh, many, many years ago. I mean, like, oh my god, I was introduced to them and many, many years ago. And we became friends and you know, of course, they love art. They love my art. You know, Kelly doing, you know, art buzzer, we are a painting here together. So we we're amazing. We're amazing together. I love them very much.

So I ask what it what could be also out of three things that you've been commissioned which have been maybe top two or top three that people have asked you to commission. It's been very honored that I did the body of works inspired on education because when uh Kofion was secretary general of the United Nation, he wanted to celebrate the change of the millennium promoting education around the globe and and I do believe education can change lives can change one individual life and can change you know the person with education his family or her family can you know can be elevated with you know with someone um educated and um and can change communities too and change the world. I mean I think you know um you can give anything to anybody but give education is the best gift you can give to somebody.

That's a good point. My daughter's an artist.

Oh yeah. I gave her

you need to you need to bring your family one day.

I would love I would love to. She it's funny because she was eight years old right and it was her birthday and I've always been big on giving her experiences. She's 20 years old now in New York, going to school of visual arts and design in New York. And she I was, where do I get her? Where do I get her? I see a little sign, Priscilla Tiffany's art school. I pull in, go upstairs, buy the thing. $400. A little set. Imagine I had her at 17 years old. Little thing. I go, birthday comes. I give her a little box with all her crayons. And she's 20 now.

Oh, 20.

She's 20 years old now.

Believe you have a son.

She's done some nice portraits, too. She's done some nice stuff. So imagine this. I give her this stuff and obviously she gets all the toys from everybody else. So she's like,

"Oh, and then she sees the the crayons and the this and the the certificate that you're starting art school." She was started with one day a week and she's like, "All right, put it to the side."

Till today's date that she ended up getting a scholarship to Guliver with that, scholarship to college. She went to SCAD from SC. Now she's in New Yorking her own thing.

What school she's going to New York?

School of Visual Arts and Design in New York.

Oh, amazing.

In in the Lower East Side.

Congrat. And now she's turned it into a architectural man angle, you know, but she still likes to paint, but she took that took that avenue. And she's told me that was probably the one of the best things that ever happened to me cuz I turning into a career, you know, turning into a career. And I would, you know, see her and I would see her really with all the things going on now with the with with kids and the social media and this and the sort of

like her happy place is painting, you know. She's like, you kind of slow down a little bit, you know? Um, so it was really impressive to see like how art can like change your life and really guide you in the right direction, you know.

So here here's another question for you. What out of all these celebrities um Michael Jordan of course being, you know, one of the all-time greats. What can Michael Jordan say? This is what I want. This is what I like. This is this is this is the piece or something I want from Romero. Funny enough, there's a Michael Jordan lit right there.

No, no, no. I mean, I don't understand. I mean what

like is there something that you know that he really specifically wanted that he really liked of of of yours of

Yeah. When I did the piece for him few pieces actually for him

it was was not like he was telling me what to do. It was just something that he say he want

I want something.

Yeah.

Okay.

You know I again you know I've been very lucky that I don't have so many you know people that come to say you know hey I want you know this this way this way. I do have one story and which is very funny is that

those are the ones we like. Yeah.

This one this collectors from somewhere not from Florida and uh they commissioned me this massive painting of their three kids

but because I Yeah. Well, you know anyway.

Sure.

And um [laughter]

at least cute kids.

Let me see.

Were they cute kids? at least.

And then and then this was many many years ago. And then I finished the piece and I told one of my staff, by the way, I think it would be good for them to come over to see the piece before the reception because they wanted to do a reception in my studio with with friends from out of town, blah blah blah. They were like, "Oh, from out of town." And then he came to see us and he I heard him say to his wife, "Honey, we know each other for all these years. We're not purple people." And I had some purple in the piece. I was like, "Oh my gosh."

I was like, they never told me, you know, like when I heard that. So when they left, I took whatever that was purple and I put another color.

Oh wow.

And then I went to a reception here in Miami that Arnold was doing. And for some reason, coincidentally or like subconsciously, I wore a shirt of Isiyaki purple.

Wow. Wow, you believe on this? And then my way back was rainy. I didn't have the time to change my clothes, go home, anything like that. And then I he arrived with a purple shirt.

And I say hello to Dan and then he come to me and say, "Romero, the the art is covered." And he say, "Romero, I want to tell you something." Because he probably thought that I heard his comment.

I want to tell you we are so happy with the painting that you No, he say to me, "We are so happy with the painting that you did for blah blah blah blah blah and I hope I hope you didn't hurt any comment but

and then when I unveiled it the unveiling

and he was so in shock because there was no purple

because

what did he say? He was so happy.

I was going to tell you what happened to the purple. [laughter]

Yeah,

maybe he left the place never wanted. So now when I do commission for people especially like personal commission I ask what's the color you love the most the one you don't like the most like Julie Glazo doesn't like brown so don't give anything or don't do anything for him that has brown because he doesn't like brown

right is there anything out there left that you're that's still on your bucket list you know a commission

oh no there's so many I want I mean one thing for sure this place here that you saw today is not open to the public but one day I would love

you to have a place like this or bigger that will be open to the public that you could bring your family, your grandkids, your whoever want to have coffee, you want to come with your parents here say let's go to see Romero's art was

you know and then you can come over here walk have coffee have lunch have dinner like a museum

even have like a place say his daughter that people can do like beautiful you know art from your art

I would love to have a place where young artists could show their work

I think many you have an area here It could be like the White House. Yeah. No, that's amazing. You can just walk.

You know, this place is bigger than the White House.

They were telling so before the the ballroom, you know,

with the ballroom and

Well, we don't know yet. Hopefully get something commissioned. You know,

you can do something in the ballroom.

Yeah, we would love to see something like that.

But listen, let me tell you something. I think that's a great idea. I mean, the fact of, you know, for me walking down that aisle, seeing all the Disney figures,

I mean, that's that's that's that's crazy.

Yeah, I'm very honored to work with Disney all the years. I'm a we're my family and I are huge huge Disney cruise people. Not that we like cruises, but the ones that we like are Disney

and every time we've gone we see all your work there and a lot this and this thing is just beautiful. that mindblowing, you know, saying that whole thing and that fact you said maybe opening an area,

you know, and then having people come and see that I mean that'd be spectacular, especially during

several years ago I was working with the city to get a like a piece of land in here was going to be 16,000 I mean 16 acres not thous of the building everything but then came to a point that so busy and you you need to have the right team to take something like that and then I asked few collectors of mine say if I was you I wouldn't embark into something like that now

and this was several years ago but uh yeah one day something one day one day we of course we'll we're going to make it happen of course I was going to ask you I'm very positive curious for your thoughts on what has transpired in Winwood you know at one point Windwood was known for like heavy street art you know real rugged and now it's like a lot of commercial buildings with those

progress is ine inevitable. You know if there is success you know so many things going to change and most of the time wherever you see wealth you see cleaniness you see things that's going to be dawn to lust for a long time

and little by little things start changing you know you can see now there's buildings in there nobody can come over there just paint splash paint on window of building over there on a wall you got to be more it's more like organized you know and it's so little by little it's changing the landscape which is good in one hand is bad in the other. You know, the arts been very good. Arts and food, the culinary has been very good for, you know, that not only necessary to Winwood, Miami, Miami Beach, but we keep switching. No switch, changing, evolving. We don't know what's going to happen in the future there, but for sure it's going to be a lot of beautiful buildings. Uh, it's being built, beautiful buildings now, and we don't know where the next wave of art and art go. I think I do know and I've been hearing them talk about it a lot

which is

the underline. The underline extends from Bickl all the way down.

We know. Yeah. Yeah.

And all these columns are there and they look dull. Somebody did the dominoes.

Yeah.

So I know that they've begun searches to commission a lot of these huge columns to get painted by other artists.

I mean I I I don't know but I think we're sitting next to one that me from the underline. She can go ahead and commission Romero. I know when I moved to here was like oh my god I don't want a lot of people know that I'm here because you know because when I when I went to Winwood there was not what it was you know there was a point I I I couldn't get out of the building because the traffic was the worst. I'm so happy that we're here and it's great. It's been really beautiful.

Did you ever participate in the coconut grow festival?

I did actually twice for I think the one that they sold the most was the year that I did when turned 50 years. They told me that they sold the most posters of all time.

That was recently or

Yeah, a few years ago.

A few years ago.

Yeah, that's what the Tony and Well, they changed the commission everything. Wen know I have one of my last questions,

which is

Well, you already know what it is.

What is that?

It's the hardest question.

It's the hardest question.

This one's going to get you.

This This one's going to be This is going to stress you out a minute. Right.

Oh, really? Okay.

All right. You have to give us in Miami your top three restaurants.

Oh, the top three restaurants. Three restaurants that you go to that you like to go to or that I like to go

that you like to go and you can start. Number three, two, one, and you got to tell us right. Ready? Number three.

Number three.

What do you like? Number three.

I I go I go I go to Priyani.

Okay. What do you like from there?

I go for de Marmy.

I mean the bleach. Yes.

No. But but start with Criyani. What do you like from Criyani?

Uh I like the salad. The the uh lobster salad with avocado.

The the gelato.

The gelato.

Yeah. And the gelato.

The gelato. Of course.

Nothing like the pistachio here yet, man. I haven't been there.

I like por de Mari.

P Mari.

That's I like the Brazino.

The Brazil. That's on on Ocean Drive. No.

And I also like I love Joe's

Jo the best.

I mean, I also love, you know, go and know is like it's so great to me.

Amazing. Yes. By the way, I didn't spoke about this one thing. You guys, whenever you have a chance and go in a cruise, you have to go to the burrito restaurant at Princess Cruise Ship. It's beautiful. Yeah. Wow. That's

We have now two restaurant.

I also heard you doing like little cafe. You're doing cafe. Burrito cafes too.

Stores stores. And then the the restaurant we just opened the the latest one was about a month ago.

And also

the ship stuff

through through your wonderful staff that you're doing a YouTube channel with Disney Breurto.

Yeah, we doing a cartoon. Yes,

a cartoon. A cartoon

that's going to that that's going to be good.

That is amazing.

That's that's going to be that's going to be fun.

Are you allowed to talk about that or No,

I mean we are like we are like going to process right now. But it's great.

Well, we can always come back and talk about it when it's launched. By the way,

I like this room in here. We maybe just do a room like for podcast. L's been telling me we need to do one room in here for podcast. We need to every time somebody come over here should 100%.

You interview me, I interview you guys. I interview Justin. We would love to distribute it through a day in Miami. I mean, this is I mean, maybe one day we make more money that we can commission you to do our logo of a day in Miami.

Yeah. Like a collab, a day in Miami collab.

A little beautiful thing of a day in Miami by Romero. Be spectacular. You know what I'm saying? One day, one day, one day, one day. Romero, let me tell you something. Thank you so much for opening your doors for us.

Um, I know this is uh this is rare, but we really, really thank you. We really think and and I can't you know wait to come back and talk about more stuff with you and we are going to take you up in the offer and bring you back with some of the family by the way.

What are your thoughts on Artb Basil? It just passed right now.

Overall thoughts on Artb Basilo how it's evolved in Miami.

Well I think it's incredible to have such event in here

in Miami in Florida because it's the biggest art event in the world. Art Baso started in Basil, Switzerland. And Baso Miami became bigger than Basil, Switzerland. Wow. In Switzerland. So I met the founder of Art Baso. Her name was his name was Ernest Baylor and he was incredible guy and he liked my work and he came to my exhibition in Basil. So it's a huge thing for Miami to have art.

You just released your Renaissance exhibition there too. Yes. Did you get anything that people

No, people love it and it was great because together with the fe and as a matter of fact they're going to go for dinner tonight with the co fe.

Oh, nice.

And uh anyway, but Art Baso to Miami is amazing. Amazing. Amazing.

I mean, more people come here than you go to anywhere else.

It's the biggest art event. That's what I'm saying. Literally, it's the best city. It's the best city to live in. I think I think so.

Love my a real pleasure, my friend.

Thank you, Romeo. so much appreci and Maria.

It's funny enough because we're going to