A blue Indian is the trademark of artist Cranio from Sao Paulo, representing the indigenous people from Brazil. His mediums are acrylic on canvas and spray paint on walls, but he also enjoys creating some variation by mixing the two in order to create spray paint on canvases. His works are featured in the URBAN NATION 2018 exhibition, ‘UN-DERSTAND The Power of Art as a Social Architect’.

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Cranio, which translates to ‘skull’ in Portuguese, is the pseudonym of Fabio de Oliveira Parnaiba who was born in 1982 and grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 1998 he began spray painting the walls of his hometown. With inspirations deriving from life, cartoons, and legendary artist, Salvador Dali; his illustrious ‘moniker’ of sorts, is a native indigenous person of Brazil, painted in blue. Developed out of a representation for the indigenous peoples who have populated his native country, Cranio cites that the Indians find themselves in funny and curious situations, prompting thoughts of more contemporary issues such as consumerism, corruption and the environment.