Venezuelan born artist, Carlos Almenar Diaz is a French-Australian citizen who has won multiple awards as an established banknote designer
and contemporary artist.
Besides his artistic work, Carlos is the founder of Banknote Art Concept™ an organisation which values and celebrates the promotion,
education, and curation of the artistic and cultural dimension of banknotes and coins. Banknote Art Concept™ supports the holistic research
involved in money creation, to their artistic reuse and revalue in the context of “Money Art”.
Carlos has a Bachelor in Graphic Design and majored in Creative Design, he also has a Bachelor in Journalism. He became an accredited
banknote designer, at the renowned Swiss Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions Company. Carlos has worked as a banknote designer at the
Central Bank of Venezuela, Casa de la Moneda, for 12 years, before joining Oberthur Fiduciaire in 2008 in France. In 2014, he joined CCL
Secure Australia as a senior banknote designer. Carlos has been designing and developing banknotes on paper and polymer substrate for many
countries around the world. Throughout his 26 years career, Carlos has studied colour theory in particular geometric patterns, extrapolating these concepts into designs seen in banknotes. He created and used chromatic perceptions and patterns across multiple cultures, whilst encompassing communities’ unique representation across the world.
Carlos believes that the dynamism between the design concepts, chromatic theories, and the printing process, makes a perfect synergy
between visual design and art. Carlos’s artwork continues to explore and investigates the optical experiments between the phenomenon of
colour, visual rhythm, and ourselves.
Art commissions, collaborations, recognitions and awards
- Public art installation. NEW ART, funded by the Hobsons Bay Council’s Community Support Package, 2022;
- Swatch® at Biennale Arte 2022; Swatch X You in Venice;
- Swatch®, chromatic watch, Carlos Almenar’s unique creation “Colours of Venezuela”, Swatch® X You - World Expo Dubai, 2021;
- Print Council of Australia, Print Commission, 2021;
- The Substation Newport, Billboard Gallery Commission “Chromatic Concentrics”, 2021.
Banknote design international recognitions, awards and nominations
- World best new banknote series 2021, Banco Central de Costa Rica;
- World best new commemorative banknote 2021, N$ 30, Bank of Namibia;
- Latin America best new banknote 2021, 20,000 Colones, Banco Central de Costa Rica;
- Latin America best commemorative banknote 2019, 50 Pesos, Central Bank of Uruguay;
- Top 5 world banknote design 2015, 20,000 Colones, Banco Central de Costa Rica;
- 2nd World best new banknote 2014, Rs25, Central Bank of Mauritius;
- World best banknote of the future 2012, ‘Hippocampus’ banknote concept design;
- World best new banknote series 2008, Banco Central de Venezuela.
