Meet Bruno Casiano

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bruno Casiano. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Bruno Casiano is a Puerto Rican artist based in Cleveland Ohio who combines traditional and contemporary art. Born in Gary, Indiana, the son of a steelworker, Bruno’s family moved to their hometown, Juana Diaz, a rural community in Puerto Rico when he was 10 years old. Young Casiano developed an interest in art awakened by these rural surroundings and by the awareness of living in an Island, which made an impression on him. In his past and present work, regardless of the technique he chooses, from a traditional perspective, he emulates the look and feel of silkscreens, which are important in Puerto Rican Cultural Art tradition. In addition to that, the imagery of mountains, mangos, ceiba trees, caves, leaves, branches, and water, colors and forms in high contrast are common themes in Casiano’s work.

In Puerto Rico, he studied studio painting at the School of Fine Arts in Old San Juan in the early 1980s. He pursued further studies in illustration at The School of Design, Altos de Chavon / Parson in La Romana, Dominican Republic, and in the mid-1990s, at the Cleveland Institute of Art in Ohio he completed a BA in Illustration. For few years he owned and curated the Bruno Casiano Gallery in the near west side of Cleveland. Bruno Casiano continues to be known by most art circles and artists in the metropolitan area.

For many years, Casiano has been and continues to be a featured chalk artist for The Cleveland Museum of Art Chalk Fest. Recently, in 2021, he created a beautiful mural 32 ft. x 8 ft. for the Community Arts Center (CMA) located at 2937 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113.

To contact Casiano you may visit: www.brunocasianogallery.com

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Art… has never been easy! But I would not change anything for such great love!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I believe what makes me different is the reality of growing up in two cultures, this sets greater possibilities, like someone having a bigger toolset or more tricks! I have the tendency to use many colors and textures which some may interpret as somehow of the Caribbean reality and Latinx. I view myself as a mixed medium contemporary artist that integrates textiles, spray paints, and some cutout patterns to create visual mappings more or less. I’m very proud of this late body of work 2021-2022 (Covid), which was born from many thoughts and feelings of life! What sets my apart from others is…what sets them apart from me!

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
In 2001, I put a small down payment towards this beautiful, but scary “di·lap·i·dat·ed” building dated back to 1867, with the idea of restoring it for what would later be called Bruno Casiano Gallery.

After the purchase, a raw awakening set in, touring the place with several contractors with fancy trucks, caps, and big quotes!

However, I was in for a journey of 2 years with a great amount of physical work.  But with good friends and my amazing wife who day in and out took care of our three little kids, and still found time to bring me food!

A few years later, we opened with a great celebration! and went on to have many great shows of local and international artists!

Contact Info:

• Email: brunocasiano892@gmail.com
• Website: www.brunocasianogallery.com
• Facebook: bruno casiano