Cranio

Fabio de Oliveira Parnaiba (b.1982), better known as Cranio, is an international street artist who lives and works in his hometown, Sao Paulo, Brazil. His moniker –Cranio– is his childhood nickname; He was the smartest kid in his class, so his classmates called him Cranio, which means Skull in Portuguese.

In 1998, self-taught artist, Cranio began his artistic journey on the streets by writing his name on the gray, city walls, influenced by other street artists in the city. He is most known for his blue Indian, which represents the indigenous people of Brazil and the troubles they face in a contemporary world. The Indians often find themselves in humorous and curious situations, provoking people to think about contemporary issues like consumerism, corrupt politicians and the environment. With dark themes, humor is key into making the works easily digestible without giving up on the significance or the power of the message.

His international following has exploded thanks to his famous murals in cities across the world and through his solo exhibitions–in Europe, South America, and the United States. Cranio is rising as one of the world’s biggest pop-contemporary artists and has seen the demand for his work skyrocket.

Solo show at Vertical Gallery: "Jungle" August 4-25, 2018.