Domestika Creatives: Ricardo Cavolo

The Spanish painter explains his unique creative influences and invites us into his studio

As a boy, Ricardo Cavolo came into contact with two worlds that marked his personal and professional career: art, (through his father who was a painter,) and the diverse and little-known Gypsy culture of his step-father. Both universes are filled with aesthetics, symbolism and a wealth of creativity. They had a decisive influence on this 38-year-old Spanish artist, whose paintings often feature outsiders, people who society doesn’t allow to express or even tell their own stories.

In this Creatives video, Cavolo discusses his creative routine, shows us around his studio and explains some of the images peopling his restless mind.

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His work uses a naïve style that fills the frame with strong, vibrant colors. He depicts an incredibly wide range of aesthetic references: video games, comics, cartoons, super-heroes, tarot, folk art and mystic worlds. Many of the characters have four (or six) eyes instead of two, for the simple reason that this allows them to see beyond us. Their wisdom transcends formal education.

Cavolo won a competition to select the cover of the prestigious Yorokobu innovation and culture magazine. This launched a career, during which he has cultivated a faithful and ever-expanding social media audience, where he has thousands of fans.

He explains his preference for pop culture icons, which is (at least partly) responsible for his success:

“People get really into popular characters. If I use Wednesday Addams, then it’s obvious what I’m going to talk about.”

English version by @studiogaunt.

You may be interested in:

- Domestika Creatives: Birgit Palma.
- Domestika Creatives: Edel Rodríguez.
- Domestika Creatives: Shinji Nagabe.