Fernando “Ski” Romero is a New York based graffiti muralist and artist born and raised in New York City where he continues to live and work. Beginning in 1990, Ski started off his foray into graffiti as many of the original graffiti artists did by ‘bombing’ New York City subway cars – quickly moving on to trucks and streets as the major crackdown on graffiti began long before it was considered the artwork it is today. Being in the birthplace and mecca of what was then a fairly unknown, underground, and unaccepted art form, he knew he was part of a special culture that was growing and expanding into something larger than life. In an effort to hone his skills as an artist, he was accepted into and attended the prestigious Parsons School of Design. Starting in 2005, he began selling his artwork in the streets of downtown SoHo until 2009, when multiple galleries started to take notice of his style and aesthetic and granted him his first significant exhibitions – showing alongside legends of the graffiti world like CRASH, Lady Pink, Tats Cru, and many others.

Inspired by the canvas that was presented to him from a young age, the city and the people in it and their many different layers, he creates the same feelings through photography, mixed media, silkscreen, and spray paint. Large scale murals are juxtaposed with fine art canvases and hand-pulled prints that tell a story of his life and experiences - where he has been and what he has been through. One must pull apart the many layers to fully understand the works, beginning with abstract masterpieces that are then overlaid with buildings, graphical elements, and finally traditional graffiti that masks the walls underneath. Creation is a race against time, because eventually the present becomes a distant memory, and the moment only lingers on and continues to exist through the work. He strives to inspire the viewer to look deeper and more carefully at the world around them as they discover beauty in unusual places, like the raw underbelly and industrial flavor of the city that only graffiti can truly capture and convey.

Since those early exhibitions, Fernando’s career has been one of great acclaim and success, commercially and critically. In addition to countless group and solo shows in galleries, his work has been featured on TV in House of Lies, Californication, and The Ray Donovan show. He has collaborated with many major brands, publicly and privately, including but not limited to: Reebok, Gatorade, Davidoff, Stella Artois, Microsoft, New Amsterdam Vodka, Nike, and Jay-Z (Roc-A-Fella Records). In addition, he has a penchant for philanthropy and has found a second love in curating shows with his fellow graffiti artists to raise money for charities, something which he hopes to continue to bring together art, music, and experiences for great causes. His work can be seen anywhere from the gritty streets of New York, to taxi cabs, to public murals in the city and private corporate headquarters, and of course in galleries and numerous prestigious and private collections around the world.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

For more than twenty years, I have explored the intersection of fine art, graffiti, photography, typography, and urban culture to tell stories rooted in New York City. My work celebrates the energy, diversity, and resilience of the communities that shaped me while creating contemporary experiences that resonate with audiences around the world.

Whether painting a mural, developing a brand collaboration, or creating original studio work, my goal is always the same: to make art that connects people to place, sparks conversation, and leaves a lasting impression.