1275 Minnesota St /
Themes + Projects
For our summer 2023 exhibition, Themes+Projects gallery happily presents, Looking for Clouds by Charlo!
Charlo’s exploration for this new work literally came from changing his perspective of what is in front of him, to drawing inspiration from the clouds above! By waiting and watching his subjects pass him by, the calmness of these moments revealed the hidden compositions he observed in the slight changes in shapes, gestures, and movements of his clouds. This activity sparked his imagination and through his playful abstract linear line work, Charlo expressed his discoveries through symbols, letters, phrases, and hidden themes. He invites the viewer to lose themselves in these complexly dense compositions and to be thrilled in finding joy and wonder in their meanings.
In this exhibition, Charlo experiments with the use of modular and circular drawings on panel, a sculptural abstract cloud, small drawings on panel, and a wall mural. This is Charlo’s first solo exhibition with Themes+Projects gallery and second collaboration with the gallery. In fall of 2022, Themes+Projects gallery had the pleasure to work with Charlo in creating a mural for Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo.
About the Artist
Charlo is a multimedia artist and designer. He emigrated from Monterrey, Mexico in 2013, and is currently based in Denver, Colorado. In 2020, using the NextDoor app, Charlo connected with fellow residents of the greater Denver community who invited him to paint murals onto their garage doors. As part of his Make Alleys Great Again project, he brought unity and joy to communities through his five dozen alleyway murals. In 2021, in partnership with Nextdoor and the New York Stock Exchange, he produced a live mural entitled The Joy of Being Together. In August of 2022, Charlo made his debut as a keynote speaker at TEDxMileHigh allowing him to tell his story to a much wider audience. Charlo's objective as an artist is to create joy, optimism, and build community through his work.