Southampton - Renowned artist Romero Britto recently acted as one of the sponsors of the Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research gala event held at Cipriani Wall Street in October. The black-tie benefit, hosted by Grammy-nominated songwriter Denise Rich and her daughters Daniella Rich Kilstock and Ilona Rich Schachter, honored four outstanding individuals for their commitment and dedication to the fight against cancer: the lead guitarist of U2, The Edge and his wife, director, choreographer and dancer Morleigh Steinberg; COTY Inc. Chief Executive Officer Bernd Beetz; and Sean Parker, Managing Partner of the Founder's Fund and creator of online music sharing site Napster and Facebook Causes.

Artist Romero Britto. (brittotoursamerica.com)

Britto, raised with eight brothers and sisters in Recife, Brazil, is well known for his use of pulsating colors, pop themes and commanding compositions. Having traveled to Europe in 1983 to examine firsthand the art of the masters, and after exhibiting in a few galleries and private shows, Britto was encouraged to travel to the United States where Pop Art was flourishing. He moved to Miami and set up a studio open to the public. In 1989, Absolut Vodka® selected Britto to design an artwork with their famous logo, which put the artist in the same contemporary category as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.

Today Britto is represented in galleries and museums across five continents, from Singapore to Dubai, to London and New York. His artwork on canvas has been the focus of numerous corporate commissions and noted art collections. His sculpture installations are currently located at JFK Airport and Hyde Park, London. His diverse background also includes several series of postage stamp designs for the United Nations Postal Administration and a postage stamp in Brazil that celebrates the 450th Anniversary of the city of Sao Paulo. In 2010, Britto launched his first children's book, "My Alphabet Playbook" that will lead children through a colorful collection of artistic learning.

All proceeds from the sale of Romero Britto's sculptures featured at the recent Gala event go to Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research. At $1,000 the limited editions can be purchased through calling 646-861-2033.

Britto considers himself an artistic activist for charitable organizations worldwide and most of all an artist who believes "art is too important not to share." For the past four years, he has been an invited speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and was also named an inaugural founding benefactor of the Harvard International Negotiation Program.

Britto recently answered a few questions regarding his work and view on the art world:

Given your enormous popularity and respect in the art world, are there any contemporary artists that you have taken particular note of recently?

Romero Britto: Yes, I do admire the cousin of my friend Dylan Lauren, I think Lauren is a very talented artist and we will see more of him.

Do you feel the "business of art" has affected the way in which artists approach their mediums?

RB: Maybe yes, maybe no. For artists who sell a lot and want to share their art with a huge audience as Warhol did in his day and I do today, I say yes. So we produce limited editions. But for artists who are snobs to the rest of the population they stick to their thing for themselves - and for the store of a few museums who never show their works - and then the story ends when they die.

What role do you feel technology has played in the art world. For example, digital photography, Photoshop, etc.?

Britto says "An artist can live anywhere today and do well with their work."

RB: I do think it is huge what technology did and does to all of us, we do not need anymore to scream at all the horrible things happening out there. We do have all the Media with the cutting edge technology to tell us everything with all the details. So in my case I go in the opposite direction - the world of magic and inspiration where everything imaginable is possible, dreaming like all the dreamers of the past - like those people who were thought to be crazy to think we could fly; hear voices in a phone; enjoy light, or go to the moon. I love and use technology to spread news of hope and inspiration.

What advise, if any, would you give an emerging artist?

RB: Work a lot, be open, move fast, do not be a snob of the arts. Share as much as possible his or her art!

Do you think artists recognize certain geographic locations around the world that lend themselves to both creating and selling work such as Europe versus the United States, or Miami versus Paris?

RB: I do think that an artist can live anywhere today and do well with their work. Of course there are still some cities with more galleries than others. But with the internet and the possibility to fly anywhere in hours today, I do think that the art centers are in the air and in the past. You don't need to live in Paris, New York or London to be successful in today's world. It can be helpful in some cases but not the answer.

What are you working on now, and anything you'd like to relay to both patrons and fans of your work?

RB: I'm working on many projects, my show at the Louvre Museum, huge permanent installations in eight major airports in Brazil, a 16 sculpture installation in Singapore, one massive sculpture in Berlin, another in New York City. A lot going on for me for the next five years - thank God, my staff and millions of people who support me.

For more information on Romero Britto go to www.britto.com.