KARLO HENRY

Founder and Creative Director of The Art Hunger

BIO & STATEMENT

Karlo Henry Velazquez Fernandez is an artist living in Northern California

BIO

Karlo Henry Velazquez Fernandez is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and cultural organizer whose work bridges painting, design, and community-driven creative initiatives.

Born in Barcelona, shaped by life across Mexico and the United States, his practice explores identity, emotion, and connection through visual storytelling influenced by surrealism, cultural symbolism, and contemporary pop culture.

As the founder of The Art Hunger and Arts Director for Viva Downtown, Karlo is dedicated not only to creating meaningful work, but also to building platforms that expand access, visibility, and opportunity for artists. Through both his personal practice and cultural leadership, he is committed to strengthening creative communities and using art as a catalyst for connection, collaboration, and change.

One of my favorite things is to witness people making stuff.
Through the act of creation, we can bring into reality something that used to only exist inside of us.
I think everyone should experience that feeling more often in their lives.

- Karlo Henry

Statement.

My work begins as a way of understanding identity as always evolving and in constant change, shaped by memory, and lived experience. I was born in Barcelona, raised across Mexico, and later settled in the United States. Constant navigation between cultures informs both the imagery and conceptual themes of my practice. Painting became a tool for processing this in-between space, where emotion, change, and belonging could coexist.
My visual language draws from surrealism, symbolic forms, humor and references to Spanish and Mexican folklore and contemporary pop culture. Recurring motifs function as both personal and collective symbols. reflecting vulnerability and resilience. Through this, I explore how deeply individual experiences can resonate across shared cultural experiences.
In recent years, my practice has expanded, considering not only what is created, but how and where it is experienced. I am interested in reducing barriers between artist and audience, and in creating work that invites collaboration, accessibility, and dialogue, particularly within communities that have been historically underserved or disconnected from contemporary art spaces.
My creative vision is to continue developing a body of work that bridges personal narrative and collective experience, while contributing to a more inclusive and engaged cultural landscape through both my studio practice and public-facing work.