Cranio is one of the most important names in Brazilian Graffiti.

 

Cranio, which translates to ‘skull’ in Portuguese, is the pseudonym of Fabio de Oliveira Parnaiba who was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and began painting the grey walls of his hometown from his late teens. His roots, the environment where he was born and raised, were a great inspiration and he believes this was the main motivation for him to start painting.

 

Cranio's murals always feature a trademark blue character with a distinctive shape, often in funny and topical situations. They are the result of the artist’s search for a character that could represent the indigenous people of Brazil and the contemporary issues they face spanning consumerism, political blindness, sustainability and the direction of modern society.

 

His style has evolved as he constantly innovates and improves his techniques, the lines and strokes are striking and the blue of his characters has become iconic. Cranio is inspired by everyday life and under the comedic nature of his art there is much to philosophise about.