By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
The bright colors and fanciful Pop Art imagery in Romero Britto's artwork has made people all over the world smile, like the quirky ``Big Apple" sculpture at JFK International Airport, New York, or his many fun sculptures found around Miami.
``The success of my art is that people see happiness in it. It doesn't matter where you come from, what you believe in, because when you wake up in the morning, you want to be happy," Britto said in a press conference at Opera Gallery, Cheongdam-dong, Thursday.
The Miami-based artist was in town for the opening of ``Britto in Seoul," a special exhibition for Opera Gallery's second anniversary.
``I'm really happy to be here. I was born in Brazil but I wanted to show my art to so many people in the world. I know Koreans love colors, they have a great sense of style, and I think my art can be part of their everyday lives," he said.
Born in 1963, Britto grew up with eight brothers and sisters in Recife, Brazil. His childhood was chaotic, and he found escape through school.
``Going to school for me was very peaceful. I loved going to school to learn and that's how I thought I was going to change my life. There was a point when I wanted to be a diplomat. I went to a private school on scholarship. It was a most exciting experience and I dreamt of traveling the world," he said.