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Katro and Pongo
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With his unique portraits, Katro continues to achieve new levels of original style and technique in representing human form. From a distance, his paintings look like photographic images reinterpreted through bold color combinations. However, up close one can see they are that plus much more. Each painting has a textural feeling created through layers of paint and a freeness of movement in his ever-changing brush strokes. Katro's strength as a colorist lies in his ability to organize extremes of tone, intensity, and hue within a single work, to create a harmonious whole. Katro's portraits are distinct in that each one has a style unto itself. It's as if he can forget his previous works, forge a new path, and create a new style each time. This amazing ability to reinvent each time he paints stems from his childhood when he would create works of art out of whatever he could find. According to the artist, "It's the challenge of creating something out of nothing that makes it exciting... to push myself to a new level each time I paint."
Katro was born and raised in New Haven, CT. He attended E.C.A., Educational Center for the Arts, High School where he obtained a full scholarship to the Art Institute of Boston. He attended school there for two and a half years then continued at the Museum School in Boston. During this time, Katro Co-Founded
A.W.O.L.
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Artists With Out Limits
, a multifaceted art production company. The goal of this organization was to bring together young ethnic artists and allow them to share their experiences and skills. For a final project at the Museum School, Katro painted seven large black and white paintings in seven days. It was these paintings that influenced his future concentration: powerful portraits of influential black figures. The paintings were the highlight of the school's Black History Month Exhibition. Renown artist, Paul Goodnight, attended the exhibit and realizing Katro's talent encouraged him to be a part of a show he was doing for the National Council for the Arts at Howard University. After this successful show, Katro began doing commissions and showing his work in local galleries around Boston.
It was this same year, 1991, that he was commissioned to do a portrait in New York City. Katro relocated and became involved in the art scene, He also began teaching at E.C.A. in New Haven and split his time between the two cities. In 1993, after attending many gallery shows, and realizing that ethnic artists were rarely if ever represented, he decided to have his own show in the largest underground gallery in the world, the New York City subway system. Katro's idea behind the
Subway Exhibition
was to bring his art to the everyday person and create positive images for people riding the subways. An artist committed to the idea of art as a means of effecting social change, Katro paints people who have inspired him and helped him realize his capabilities. By carrying his paintings through the streets and subways of Manhattan and the boroughs, Katro received high acclaim, I.G. Times Magazine featured an article on him and the Subway Exhibition. He also received numerous
Dave "DS7" Taylor poses with Slick Rick
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offers for commissions and started showing his work at hip hop events. In 1994, he exhibited his paintings at the 555-Soul Fashion Show, the Lyricist Lounge, and the New Music Seminar. His work also appeared in Jamalski's "Ruffneck Reality" music video.
Katro has the dedication and ability to create his pieces any where. He paints on roofs of buildings, in parks, and on sub way platforms. He sets no limitations and lets no thing set him back. This strong commitment to his art, culture, and subject matter comes through in his works. His art is the essence of his experiences not a representation of them. Katro is currently working on commissions and showing at A.W.O.L Space in Boston, MA.
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