Diogo de Oliveira was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1976, and grew up in the vibrant
and artistic neighborhood of Santa Teresa. At the age of eight, he and his sister Mayta
moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York, to live with their mother,
Debora. Growing up in New York City during a transformative era, the 1980s, de
Oliveira was captivated by the cultural and artistic movements around him. The iconic
St. Mark’s Place was bustling with punk rockers and hip-hop culture. This street, along
with riding the graffiti-tagged subway trains filled with colorful characters, became an
early source of inspiration.
During his teenage years as a skater in New York City, Diogo became part of a closeknit community that included future stars such as Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson.
The late Harold Hunter, skateboard superstar, was a close friend of de Oliveira. The
skateboarding culture of the city not only shaped de Oliveira’s creative perspective but
also introduced him to the dynamic intersections of art, fashion, and music.
At nineteen, de Oliveira attended the City University of New York, majoring in
Multimedia Video. His creative journey continued when, in 2001, he moved to
Barcelona, Spain, where he lived for two years. There, de Oliveira worked mornings in a
shipyard, and spent his afternoons at MACBA, the Contemporary Art Museum of
Barcelona. There, he filmed skateboarders from around the globe, immersing himself in
the art and skateboarding subcultures. After returning to New York, de Oliveira edited
and completed his skateboard video titled "Änywhere, Skateboarding Takes You
There."
Throughout these years, art remained a constant in de Oliveira’s life. He often sketched
and created expressive drawings, focusing primarily on faces—happy, sad, and
confused. The characters come spontaneously to him as he prepares to translate his
ideas to his canvases. De Oliveira’s style of painting reflects his energetic and
emotional approach, using acrylic as his primary medium. His work always features
bold, strong colors, expressive lines, incorporating geometric shapes to add structure
and depth to his compositions. He also explores shadowed portraits that balance
abstraction and realism.
Today, de Oliveira lives in Nazaré, Portugal, working and creating in his studio to
expand the boundaries of his artistic journey.