Painting has been a lifelong passion for Carlos A. Navarro.
However, few realize that when the time came for him to choose a
career path, he initially ventured in to the corporate world. After
years of spending long workdays in what he refers to as "too
structured" of an environment, Navarro left the business world to
rekindle his passion for art. In 1992 the artist was approached by
a family friend who offered him work painting a mural for a hotel
on South Beach. Although the job eventually fell through, Navarro
had already developed various sketches, and decided to commit them
to canvas. This was the humble beginning of what has developed into
a phenomenal career.
Navarro has been heavily influenced by both his upbringing, and
classic Pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and
Keith Haring. His own unique style has emerged as he utilizes
vibrant colors with black outlines, fusing Pop Art with traditional
Miami, Cuban and other contemporary themes. Navarro's work displays
a wide range of subject matters, from romantic and nostalgic to
humorous and political.
In May 2005, the Smithsonian National Museum displayed Navarro's
rendition of legendary salsa queen Celia Cruz in an exhibition
called Azucar. The artist presented Celia Cruz with a reproduction
of a work he created of her for ‘Cuba Nostalgia' in 2001. This
annual event in Miami honors Cuba's most glamorous and prosperous
period.
The works of Navarro have been celebrated both nationally and
internationally. He has been commissioned by companies such as
Campo Viejo Wine, Ford Motors, Cuba Nostalgia, Miami Dade Community
College, Amigos for Kids and Perry Ellis. His exhibits have been in
Italy, Bermuda, Milan and Bergamo. In 2007 he was commissioned by
the Super Bowl XLI Host Committee to create a poster and painting
for the International Media reception at Vizcaya.