Julio Cotto
Artist’s Bio
Julio Cotto is a self-taught Puerto Rican multimedia artist, actor and writer originally from Bronx, NY. He has lived in the South for the past three decades. From ages 15 to 23, Cotto inked and lettered several comic books for Bugged-Out Comics, painted carousel horses, illustrated greeting cards and worked as a graphic artist in Greenville, SC. He moved to Charleston in late ’98 to work on his comics and begin painting. Since 2001 Cotto has shown his works all over Charleston and the South East. The artist has participated in over one hundred shows over the past ten years including Charleston Contemporary 2010: Influence and all Kulture Klash Festivals. Julio has been voted ‘Best Local Visual Artist’ 2004, 2006 and 2008 by Charleston City Paper readers. In 2005 he received two Silver Addy Awards for his cover of Barfly magazine. In 2008 the artist moved back to Greenville for a year to paint murals for Liquid Highway and to be with his family. A year later he moved back to Charleston to show new work and begin his acting career.
Julio is currently working on a graphic novel, several children’s books, and comic strip concepts. He is also writing a short film and a play. The artist shows his work in a few select venues in downtown Charleston. In Greenville, Cotto is represented exclusively by Matthew Campbell Studio and Gallery. He looks forward to a solo art show this fall in NYC and costarring in the independent feature length film ‘Desperate Measures’. Julio has donated his art and time to several charities and nonprofits including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Hunger Hurts Greenville, Low Country Aids Services, My Sister’s House, Sidewalk Chalk and the SPCA. Cotto lives in downtown Charleston with his dog, Clive, and works out of his studio on upper King Street.