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SEA of JOY in BrittO’s WOrLD, thErE arE nO natiOnaL BOUnDariEs, OptiMisM is thE UnivErsaL LangUagE, COLOr is thE CUrrEnCy, anD thE

prEvaiLing sEntiMEnt is tiMELEss JOy.

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“EvErything is happEning” — r o m e r o B r i t t o .

The Pop artist is in the midst of the type of pulsating sensory overload that feeds his spirit and cascades into his artwork. People. Colors. Sound. Shape. Movement. Laughter. Life. Love. He’s hustling to make a flight, but he stops to soak up the vibe. “Look at all of this,” he says. “Everybody’s awake and alive and I can feel it. We may have different destinations, but we’re all on this wonderful journey together.”

Britto’s candy-colored, crisply lined pieces are represented in galleries and museums from Singapore to California, from London to Dubai. His smile-inducing compositions have been exhibited in more than 100 countries, including two exhibitions at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris—one of the most prestigious art spaces in the world.

His installations uplift prominent locations, such as enormous friendship-bear sculptures outside the O2 Dome in Berlin and New York’s Time Warner Center. In London, a four-story pyramid resembling the Great Pyramid of Giza stretches into the sky in Hyde Park.

The success of Britto’s self-described neo-Pop cubism is simple: people see happiness in it. “It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you believe in, because when you wake up in the morning, you want to be cheerful,” he says.

Sunrise in Miami, therefore, arrives with a special ray of jubilance. Britto arrived in the city in 1986, a Brazilian with little more than sheer guts and raw, but obvious talent. “I couldn’t afford art school,” he says. So he created whatever he could, with whatever he could, to bring light and color into his world.

He brought that sensibility to the ideal place for him to thrive. “Miami adopted me and I adopted Miami, too. The place is so cool and a paradise.” His signature style is a perfect representation of the Magic City; it’s contemporary, bright, multicolored, playful, fresh, uninhibited, energetic, toned with revelry; and it’s a showcase for diversity—like a mirror reflecting one of the best moods of your life.

At Miami International Airport, passengers are greeted by Welcome

Ambassadors wearing Britto-designed shirts. His sculptures in the airport definitely help to raise spirits while standing in the queue. The artist’s sculptures also hang from the side of buildings by the highway and decorate corporate campuses across the city. A 30-foot-tall Britto-branded palm tree and beach ball mark the entrance to the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach. He’s splashed his signature design on Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. And when the new baseball stadium opens in 2012, a large Britto sculpture will adorn the entrance.

In 1989, when Britto was still largely undiscovered, the president of Absolut Vodka, on vacation in Miami, walked into the artist’s studio on a whim...and walked out with several works. Soon after, Britto was commissioned to paint a portrait for Absolut’s now-iconic print-ad campaign, which had already featured renditions from art-world titans such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Britto’s effervescent interpretation of a bottle

YEAR? Britto with the Brazilian intellectual, Gilberto Freyre.

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with a peacefully beautiful face, sunshiny hair, and a beaming heart appeared in more than 60 publications worldwide. A Pop-art star was born.

Immediately, eminent names came calling. Britto’s works brighten the collections of Michael Jordan, Elton John, and Shakira, as well as Eileen Guggenheim, David Rockefeller, and Anthony Shriver. “Incredible individuals have supported my art in such a big way,” Britto says.

Owning a Britto, however, is not reserved only for the elite. The artist remains true to his humble background. “I care about bringing art to whomever wants to rejoice in it. It should be accessible to all and enjoyed by people of all ages,” he says.

His galleries in Miami, and at sea, showcase not only original pieces but also collectible merchandise—everything from fl ower-decorated wallets to luggage sets.

“For me, the idea is to reach as many people as possible,” he says. “When I was young and went to museums, I was so inspired by van Gogh painting the story of

life through friends, people in his village, and people that he met that somehow impacted his life. And I love that. I want to paint everyone and everything I am fortunate to come across. It could be a person. It could be an animal, a tree, a house, anything that has become part of my world. That’s why I paint big things and small things.”

Corporations and global institutions also love this notion—the idea of art for the good of everyone, everywhere. “Imagination and artistry are powerful tools to open minds and shape visions,” Britto says. “I think it’s very important to keep evolving.”

He’s highly sought after to translate his art of happiness onto a myriad of canvases. Britto’s design has told the time with Technomarine and Movado watches. It has made music with Gibson electric guitars. It has revved with Bentley and Audi. It has helped deliver the mail as a United Nations postage stamp. It has scored as the offi cial art poster of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has visually interpreted confl ict-management themes for students in Dr. Daniel

Hyde Park, Londonromero designed the pyramid in honor of the return of the King tut exhibition to london.

Bentley GTin 2009, Britto designed a special Bentley that was auctioned off for charity.

JFK Airportthe Britto Apple sits at the entrance to the new York city airport.

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Absolut Vodkathe iconic design jump-started Britto’s career into the Pop-art mainstream.

Atlantic 2009Fish mixed-media sculpture.

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Mariner of the Seas Britto’s designs decorate the 25,000-square-foot pool deck of the royal caribbean ship.

Shapiro’s classroom at Harvard University. And it has added extra delight to guests on Royal Caribbean International cruises.

The cruise line was first Britto-ized in 2003, when the artist created the one-of-a-kind 25,000-square-foot Pop-art pool deck for Mariner of the Seas. “When I started the project I thought, ‘that’s all that I hope, that my art can bring together families and create memories,’” Britto says.

When Allure of the Seas launched in December 2010, the artist was on-board to christen the first Britto Store at sea. “Growing up, I was fascinated by the sea and would draw massive ships. So having a gallery there is a dream come true,” Britto says. In the ship’s Central Park area, he created a butterfly sculpture for the neighborhood’s gardens, as well as two original pieces for guests to purchase—a Royal Caribbean-inspired teddy bear and a Giclee on canvas custom painting.

The inaugural sailing provided fans with

an opportunity to interact with Britto in painting parties, autograph sessions, and meet-and-greet events. “I loved doing that,” he says. “Every moment was unique and special, but most of all [it was great] to be there with everyone from Royal Caribbean for the opening of the gallery, and with people from everywhere who came over to me to acquire something of mine...the pieces sold out every day.”

The store itself is a captivatingly interactive space for guests to enjoy the color, innovation, and spirit of Britto’s art. It carries a wide array of artwork, smaller collectibles like figurines and dishes, luggage, and sculptures of all sizes; so guests can bring a little splash of Britto-infused bliss home with them.

The store has been such a resounding success that a second store was installed on the Royal Promenade during Freedom of the Seas’ recent renovation. Like the first store at sea, the Britto Gallery showcases a diverse blend of functional giftware, decor,

and collectibles, as well as original and commissioned Britto works.

Now having the collection seen and appreciated by the nearly 10,000 guests sailing weekly on Allure of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas, Britto is inspired by the truly limitless potential of those voyagers, f loating as one toward all those destinations.

“I get so elated to go on a journey that I get excited for everyone else’s,” he says, as he’s about to hop on his plane. “Going from a port to a ship, like a Royal Caribbean ship, you feel like a lucky man or lucky woman or child. I think that’s incredible, going on a voyage like that, where there are only beautiful skies and water, endlessly available at all times. It’s a great happening, with everybody in the right mind-set, exploring, and having fun with everyone they meet. Think of all the wonderful surprises, conversations, and good energy flowing between them. It’s like a sea of joy.”

Freedom of the Seas the Britto gallery aboard Freedom of the Seas is one of two Britto stores at sea.