Calo Rosa was born in San Salvador but currently lives and works in Philadelphia. Coming from a family of artists who worked with diverse media, Rosa was always inspired by a young age to work creatively. He holds a degree in Fine and Visual Arts from the Centro Nacional de Artes (CENAR) and a degree in graphic design from Don Bosco University.
After becoming frustrated with the exclusivity of the San Salvador gallery scene, Rosa began to define his own street style. His colorful pieces portray the vibrant Latin American culture, and mirror the sounds, roots, and forms of the urban-tropical lifestyle.
"Rosalia" mural completed in August 2019, statement by Calo:
"This piece was created for the El Salvadoran and Central American friends in Somerville, its a portrait of my friend Bianca Rosalia surrounded by elements from the tropical flora native to ES. As many other Central Americans, Bianca represents the resilience and commitment to thrive in a different environment. It includes flora that is easy to recognize to Central Americans: Flor de izote, the national flower of ES, hojas de guineo that are use to cook and make tamales, and birds of paradise flowers. This elements bring us back to the days where we where in our hometowns, in the mountains or the coast, playing with our friends surrounded by life full of color. Bianca is wearing Mayan "ruler" earplugs as a reminder to recognize where we came from to know who we are, bigger that any government, bigger than any frontier or division. Wherever we are, the colors and energy of the tropics will always come with us."
