If you’ve ever stood in a mall thinking, “I need more joy, more color, and maybe a collectible figurine or two in my life,” International Plaza now has a very specific answer for you.
Britto, the bold pop art and lifestyle brand founded by internationally renowned Brazilian-born, Miami-made artist Romero Britto, has officially landed at the mall. The brand’s first-ever Tampa location, its 26th store overall, is now open on the first floor, right next to Neiman Marcus, which is frankly an appropriate neighbor for an art empire of this scale.
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For those not yet in the Britto orbit, here’s a quick breakdown: Romero Britto is a Brazilian artist whose distinct graphic style blends Pop Art with Cubism. He grew up in poverty, traveled to Europe in 1983 to study art, and was influenced by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. He then proceeded to become what’s widely described as the most collected and licensed artist in history. That’s a fact that lands somewhere between inspiring and mildly staggering. The man has designed for events like the Super Bowl, Olympics, and FIFA World Cup, created the largest monumental sculpture in London Hyde Park history, and had his portraits include everyone from the Royal Family of England and Madonna to the Obamas. He’s also recently put his work on Skechers sneakers and a Monopoly fine art collection, because if you’re going to be everywhere, you might as well truly commit to it.
Photos via Romero BRITTO
His style forms the aesthetic backbone of the Happy Art Movement, which is an actual thing he founded with the very earnest mission of spreading happiness around the world. It sounds, admittedly, like the setup for a particularly well-designed cult (we promise it’s not). With more than three million social media followers, he’s clearly built a substantial audience for the idea. The work really does land with a warmth that’s hard to shake.
The International Plaza store features fine art, sculptures, collectibles, home décor, fashion accessories, and exclusive lifestyle products, essentially everything you’d want if you decided your entire existence needed a serious color upgrade. It’s the kind of store that makes you feel like you should already be in a considerably better mood just by stepping inside.
Britto is now open at Suite 140 on the first floor of International Plaza (2223 N Westshore Blvd). If you haven’t made it out yet, it’s worth the trip. And if you come home with a Britto Monopoly set and a pair of Britto Skechers, honestly, no one’s judging you.
Photos via Romero BRITTO
