Venezuelan born artist, Carlos almenardiaz is a French-Australian 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 cash. Banknote Art Concept supports the holistic research involved in money creation, to their artistic reuse and revalue in the context of “Money Art and Art Fiduciaire”.
Carlos has a Bachelor in Graphic Design and majored in Creative Design, he also has a Bachelor in Journalism and majored in Social Development. In 1997, he moved to Lausanne, Switzerland where he became an accredited banknote designer, at the renowned Swiss Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions Company. Since then, Carlos has been designing and developing banknotes on cotton paper and polymer substrate for many countries around the world.
Throughout his 28 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 is the first Venezuelan artist to design an artistic Op-Art Swatch watch on behalf of Venezuela for the Dubai World Expo 2020 in the “Swatch X You” project. This unique artwork was also exhibited at the Biennale Arte 2022 in Venice Swatch X Biennale Arte – Arsenal. Op-Art is an artistic technique in which Carlos has deeply investigated the chromatic phenomenon in space and shapes.
In August 2023, following his artistic residency at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Carlos was commissioned by Swatch to create an artwork the “Love Is Love, The Colours Of Pride” multidisciplinary exhibition at the Locarno Film Festival, in 2024, Carlos was awarded a public art commission by the Metro Tunnel creative program. His Op-Art work is exhibited in Flinders St. in Melbourne, Australia. Most recently, Carlos was selected to exhibit one of his artworks in “Arte Pulsante - Madrid welcomes Shanghai” at El Espacio Cultural Serrería Belga, Madrid, Spain.
Art commissions, Collaborations and Artist Residency
• Metro Tunnel creative program, public art installation, Fragments of Colours Series, Melbourne, 2025;
• Metro Tunnel creative program, public art installation, Fragments of Colours Series, Melbourne, 2024;
• Melton City Council, Chromatic Rhythms, public art installation at Caroline Springs CS Gallery Windows, 2023;
• Love is Love at the Locarno Film Festival (76th edition through the Swatch Art Peace Hotel and its Love is Love exhibition);
• Artist Residency - Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai, 2023;
• Swatch at Biennale Arte, Swatch X You in Venice, Biennale of Venice, 2022;
• Hobsons Bay City Council, A Visual Journey in Chromatic Rhythms, Public art installation, 2022;
• Swatch, chromatic watch, Carlos almenardiaz’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
- Best housenote 2024, collaborations witch CCL Secure - Casa Moneda de Chile, Reconnaissance International;
- Best new banknote series 2021. Award Central Bank of Banco Central de Costa Rica, International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA);
- Best new commemorative and limited banknote 2021, N$ 30. Award Bank of Namibia, International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA);
- Best commemorative banknote 2021, N$ 30. Award Bank of Namibia, Reconnaissance International;
- Best new banknote 2021. Award Central Bank of Costa Rica, 20,000 Colones, Reconnaissance International.
- Best new banknote series 2021. Award Central Bank of Costa Rica, Reconnaissance International;
- Best commemorative banknote 2019, 50 Pesos. Award Central Bank of Uruguay, Reconnaissance International;
- Banknote design (Costa Rica) featured in the New York Times, top 5 most beautiful banknote design in the world in 2015;
- Best new banknote 2014, 2nd award Rs25. Award Central of Mauritius, International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA);
- Best banknote of the future award 2012 ‘Hippocampus’ banknote concept design, International Banknote Designers Association (IBDA);
- Best new banknote series 2008, Venezuela banknote. Award Central Bank of Venezuela, International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA).
