Interview Wednesdays: Ciro Bicudo

I am so excited to introduce you to one of my favorite artists, Ciro Bicudo. You may have already read about him on Santos SurfArt or Grass is Greener, or perhaps you saw his work in Longboard Magazine's last art issue. He is also the creator of PineappleLuv's happy new logo!

Ciro is such a genuinely good, soulful person. He goes by the nickname 'Organik' because as he explained, he takes an organic path in life and when he paints, he always starts with his mother's garden.


Ciro, where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I grew up in Piracicaba, which is a countryside city in Brazil, but my grandmother used to live in a beach town called Peruibe. Every weekend I would visit her and around that time I had my first contact with surf. Nowadays I'm living in São Paulo, which is a big city, sort of like New York; I moved to São Paulo in order to study at the University and stayed here.

When did you first start drawing and painting?

Since I was young I used to do some drawings either at school or at home. But it was skateboarding and surfing that introduced me to the graphic culture when I was about 14 or 15 years old. I remember buying a skateboard deck with the Powell Peralta mini logo. And I always loved that graphic, so simple, so clean and perfect.

Around that time, one of my friends gave me a surfboard to paint and do some art on it... that's when I started doing some for my other friends as well. Later, I started in advertising school and my focus was to work with art of surf/skate brands. After that, I received some invitations to exhibit in art shows.

Are there any other artists in your family and do you have any brothers or sisters?

I have a 28 year old sister and a younger brother who is 22. In my family, my mother is an interior decorator/designer and my sister is an architect and an unbelievable artist. She paints with water based ecolines .

What gives you inspiration?

Music, surf, skate, colours, architecture, photos... Nature is one of my greatest loves. I love to paint flowers, leaves and the ocean. Nature makes me feel so good, it makes me peaceful and happy.

What is your creative process like? Do you get an idea and draw it first, then paint? Or just start painting and see what emerges?

It's a freestyle process. Some ideas just happens as I paint, or I'll do a sketch in a blackbook and then I paint it. All of my works are an expression, colours says how I feel at that time.

Like many other artists, we have other jobs. How do you create that balance where you find time to do your own artwork?

I work in the Local Motion office during the week, developing products and a design that is more commercial. But at night when I'm at home, I try to created some concept designs. When I'm creating my personal paintings it's something real, that I truly feel and believe. All nights and weekends is when I do something for me, not commercial stuff. These two points (commercial designs and pure art) help me to always exercise my brain. 'Cause the evolution is constant.

Do you like to play music when you paint?

Every time when I'm in the process of painting, the radio is on. I love music, I am listening to something all day long. Some of my inspirations are DUB, JAZZ, FOLK, PUNK, music from the 70's, 80's and 90's.

What are some of the last CDs that you played?

Neil Young - Harvest and Harvest Moon
Drag The River
Tim Armstrong - A Poet's Life
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
The Descendents - Live
Rancid - And Out Come the Wolves
Coltrane - A Love Supreme


I think a lot of us in other parts of the world would like to listen to more Brazilian music. Can you recommend some of your favorite artists?

My favorite Brazilian musicians are...

Bossa Nova: Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Donato, Chico Buarque, Toquinho, Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powell.

Punk band: Garage Fuzz

Rock: Los Hermanos

What is your favorite home cooked meal?

All my mother's food. And my father's barbecue.


What is on the top of your wish list for travel?

I love Brazil, but my dream is to visit California, then Barcelona, Ireland (and drink some Guinness) and Italy.

What is your favorite place to surf in Brazil and where did you first learn? You also skate, right?

One of my favorite spots is a secret spot near my grandmother's house. You need to get on a boat to arrive at this beach. I learned to surf at Peruibe's popular beaches. Yes, I skated when I was young. I love skating just as I love surfing, but nowadays I'm not skating too much.


I am so jealous that you never have to wear a wetsuit in the water! What do you ride?

Oh, here in Brazil, in June and July we need to use a wetsuit, because the water is too cold. It is winter here in these months. My favorite boards are my twin fins fish 6'0 and my 6'1 evolution fish with 3 fins .

Do you play any instruments?

I play chord instruments and harmonicas, but I love acoustic guitars, and I love to play folk songs.

What is the most exciting thing to have happened in your career so far?

Being in the Longboard Magazine Art Issue is a dream come true. And when I met Ben Harper and he said, "Your work is gorgeous."

What are some of your dreams for your future and what is your greatest ambition as a painter?

To have my personal art space/studio and live for some time in California working with art, design and surfing. I want to do art shows around the world.



Favorite artists?

I have a lot... OS GEMEOS (The Twins); Flavio Samelo (photographer); Thomas Campbell; Andy Davis; Yusuke Hanai; Kyle Lightner; Mucha; Rick Griffin; Jesse Ledoux; Evan Hecox; Beatriz Milhazes and Hieronymus Bosch.

Thank you, Ciro. What advice would you give to a young person who wants to be an artist?

Trust in yourself, and if you want to, you can. Think-feel-do it.