For over a decade, Francesco Lo Castro has been a major component of the momentous South Florida art scene as well as a thoroughfare to the national New Contemporary movement. As both a respected artist and curator of intrepid art exhibitions, his varied contributions have been pivotal in Miami’s cultural resurgence and international influence notable today. Born in Catania, Italy in 1976, raised in Germany, and transplanted to South Florida during high school, Lo Castro became immersed in the local graffiti and punk/hardcore music scenes of the early 90’s. Fueled by a strong family-instilled work ethic and the do-it-yourself attitude of the underground youth movement, he quickly found his foothold in the creative community, making a name for himself as a prolific painter, designer and photographer with diverse technical range.
Lo Castro is the CEO & Founder of Pop Art Studios a creative services agency, commercial art & design studio and launch pad for all projects under the LOCASTRO brand.
His 2006 curated “We’ll Make A Lover Of You” Exhibition at the Art Center / South Florida, Miami Beach marked the first New Contemporary showcase to be sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, and with over 40,000 visitors, set the institution’s highest attendance record to date. He is also co-founder of the 2008 VANGUARD Art Fair, which merged with AQUA Art Fair in 2009, establishing the first art expo of its kind to emphasize emerging trends in the New Contemporary movements of Pop Surrealism and Street Art.
Lo Castro’s work has been exhibited internationally and featured in numerous publications, including VICE, Juxtapoz, Women's Wear Daily, Marie Claire Italy, Art of the Times, NYArts, FEFÉ, Beautiful Decay, Italy's La Stampa and The Miami Herald. He is listed among the 100 distinguished artists to forge the South Florida art community in the definitive book “Miami Contemporary Artists,” released by Schiffer Publishing in 2007.