FREQueNTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is OCASIO PINTA?
OCASIO PINTA is the artistic name of Michael Ocasio, a Puerto Rican multidisciplinary artist, painter, muralist, illustrator, designer, and creative director based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
His practice combines art, design, and illustration to create work and experiences connected to Puerto Rican culture, both in Puerto Rico and throughout the diaspora. His work ranges from paintings and murals to posters, visual identities, merchandise, screen prints, campaigns, and cultural projects.
Where is Michael Ocasio based?
Michael Ocasio is based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After developing his creative career in New York for more than a decade, he returned to Puerto Rico and now develops his artistic practice from the island.
He works with clients and collaborators in Puerto Rico, the United States, and elsewhere, including projects connected to the Puerto Rican diaspora.
What kind of art does OCASIO PINTA create?
OCASIO PINTA's practice includes painting, illustration, murals, posters, screen printing, graphic design, visual identity, and large-scale art projects.
His work frequently incorporates references to Puerto Rican culture, history, architecture, nature, characters, traditions, and everyday life. Depending on the project, these references may appear literally, symbolically, graphically, or through reinterpretation.
What is OCASIO PINTA's style?
The work of OCASIO PINTA is characterized by a combination of illustration, painting, and graphic design, with a strong presence of Puerto Rican cultural elements.
His visual language adapts to the context of each project, ranging from more graphic and editorial imagery to paintings, murals, and large-scale pieces. His practice is not limited to a single style or medium, but uses different approaches to communicate an idea or tell a story.
What types of projects does OCASIO PINTA create?
Michael Ocasio develops artistic and creative projects for brands, businesses, festivals, cultural institutions, community organizations, and events.
Projects may include:
Original illustrations and artwork
Murals
Posters and print design
Visual identities
Merchandise design and illustration
Screen prints and editions
Commissioned paintings
Installations and large-scale artwork
Live art for events
Art workshops and activities
Brand collaborations
Cultural campaigns
Art direction and design projects
Yes. Although Michael Ocasio is based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he has developed a significant part of his career and collaborations in the United States, including New York.
He can work remotely on illustration, design, creative direction, and other visual projects, while physical projects such as murals, installations, and events are coordinated according to their location and production requirements.
What brands, companies, festivals, institutions, and organizations has OCASIO PINTA worked with?
Michael Ocasio has worked with international brands, local brands and businesses, festivals, events, institutions, organizations, and educational projects in Puerto Rico and the United States.
MAJOR BRANDS
Nike, adidas, McDonald's, Medalla Light, Distrito T-Mobile, Comedy Central, Sesame Street, and Disney Channel.
LOCAL BRANDS AND BUSINESSES
Bacoa, Bobet Bakehouse, Caleta del Vino, D'gentledog Grooming, El Jefe, Fruit Punch House, Ikako Swimwear, Johnny Torres Hair Color Studio, Lela's Eatery, Ron Artesano, Temple of Oly, Toñita's, Transcita, ULALA Men's Fashion, and Unofficial Swim.
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
All Out 5K, Borifest, Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, LUSCA Film Fest, ToñitaFest, and the local production of Disney's The Little Mermaid at Teatro Tapia.
INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
He has collaborated with institutions and organizations including Catedral de San Juan Bautista, Municipio de Caguas, Instituto de Subcultura, and Siente el Viaje, an organization dedicated to beach cleanup and conservation.
EDUCATION AND YOUTH
He has given talks, workshops, and art activities at Academia Perpetuo Socorro, Baldwin School, Parkville School, and Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. He also served as an art teacher for the first two episodes of Autógrafo Kids on WAPA TV.
His collaborations include illustration, painting, design, murals, merchandise, campaigns, installations, live art, arts education, and creative direction.
Does OCASIO PINTA work with festivals and cultural institutions?
Yes. An important part of Michael Ocasio's practice involves creating imagery and experiences for cultural projects, festivals, and organizations connected to Puerto Rico.
He has developed work for festivals, institutions, municipalities, cultural organizations, and entertainment spaces. These projects can include visual identities, posters, illustrations, murals, merchandise, and artistic experiences.
How is Puerto Rican culture reflected in OCASIO PINTA's work?
Puerto Rican culture is a central component of Michael Ocasio's practice.
His work explores and reinterprets elements of contemporary Puerto Rican life, including cultural symbols, public spaces, traditions, nature, characters, and shared experiences.
His work is not limited to historical or folkloric representations of Puerto Rico. He is also interested in documenting and participating in the culture being created today, both on the island and throughout the diaspora.
Does OCASIO PINTA create murals?
Yes. Michael Ocasio creates murals and large-scale artwork for commercial, institutional, public, and private spaces.
Projects can begin with an existing concept or develop from the initial concept, research, and illustration stages. Depending on the project, the process can include design, adaptation of the artwork to the physical surface, production, and installation.
Can I commission an original painting or illustration?
Yes. Michael Ocasio accepts commissions depending on his availability and the characteristics of the project.
Commissions can include original artwork, illustrations, paintings, pieces created for specific spaces, or work developed for a brand, event, or initiative.
Each project is quoted individually based on factors such as concept, size, medium, complexity, production, usage, and reproduction rights.
Can OCASIO PINTA create artwork for a campaign or product?
Yes. Michael Ocasio's artwork can be developed specifically for campaigns, products, merchandise, packaging, posters, visual content, and other commercial applications.
In these cases, usage rights can be established according to the campaign, product, territory, media, and duration agreed upon with the client.
Does Michael Ocasio also work as a designer and creative director?
Yes. Alongside his artistic practice, Michael Ocasio has developed a professional career in design and creative direction.
This experience allows him to work on projects where art needs to function alongside a brand identity, campaign, visual strategy, or multiple communication formats.
As a result, some OCASIO PINTA projects function both as works of art and as visual communication solutions.
What is the difference between hiring OCASIO PINTA as an artist and hiring him for a design project?
An art project may focus primarily on creating an original work, such as a painting, mural, illustration, or poster.
A design or creative direction project may also involve visual identity, graphic systems, applications, production, campaign communication, and adaptation across different formats.
In many projects, these disciplines overlap. His combined experience in art and design allows him to develop a visual concept from the initial idea through its final applications.
Does OCASIO PINTA work outside Puerto Rico?
Yes. Although Michael Ocasio is based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he has developed a significant part of his career and collaborations in the United States, including New York.
He can work remotely on illustration, design, creative direction, and other visual projects, while physical projects such as murals, installations, and events are coordinated according to their location and production requirements.
What types of clients work with OCASIO PINTA?
Michael Ocasio's practice encompasses a range of clients, from brands and businesses to festivals, institutions, community organizations, and cultural projects.
His experience includes collaborations with international companies, Puerto Rican brands, restaurants, cultural organizations, municipalities, festivals, and entertainment spaces.
This range allows him to develop projects from individual illustrations and artworks to larger campaigns and artistic experiences.
Where can I see the work of OCASIO PINTA?
The OCASIO PINTA portfolio includes posters, merchandise, large-scale artwork, screen prints, paintings, murals, logos, and other art and design projects.
The site also features selected interviews and projects that document different aspects of Michael Ocasio's career and practice.
How can I hire OCASIO PINTA?
To discuss a project, collaboration, commission, mural, campaign, or artistic proposal, you can contact Michael Ocasio through the contact section of this website.
When requesting a quote, it is helpful to include information about the project, timeline, location, dimensions, intended applications, and any available visual references.
Each project is evaluated individually to determine the creative scope, production requirements, budget, and applicable usage rights.
What is the approach behind OCASIO PINTA's work?
Michael Ocasio's approach is rooted in the idea that art can be part of everyday life and the spaces where culture happens.
His work brings artistic imagery and experiences into different contexts—from paintings and screen prints to murals, apparel, posters, campaigns, and installations—and uses those platforms to celebrate, document, and reinterpret aspects of Puerto Rican culture.
What is OCASIO PINTA's relationship with Toñita's and ToñitaFest?
Michael Ocasio began collaborating with Toñita's in 2024, creating the artwork for the famous Puerto Rican bar's 50th anniversary festival in New York. The following year, in 2025, he designed the logo for Toñita's, shortly before the bar was referenced in the lyrics of Bad Bunny's “NUEVAYoL.”
The anniversary festival continued as an annual summer celebration and became ToñitaFest, a street party held in front of the bar. Since then, Michael Ocasio has developed the festival's branding and visual design, including the shirt artwork, stage design, and brand collaborations such as the 2026 Medalla Light x Toñita's cup and the adidas street soccer field.
Did Michael Ocasio design for a Clio Award-winning project?
Yes. Michael Ocasio Arana was commissioned and credited by AKQA as the designer of the artwork for Nike's “Never Done Making History” project featuring the Tigerbelles, a pioneering all-Black women’s track and field team from Tennessee State University, made up of record-breaking athletes who helped reshape women’s sports and competed on the world’s biggest stage. The project won three 2023 Clio Sports Awards: Gold in Design, Bronze in Events/Activation, and Bronze in Out of Home.
Michael created a pointillist interpretation of a historic Nike racing photograph, which was then produced as a large-scale canvas installation using hundreds of colored track-and-field shoe spikes. The project was a broader creative and production collaboration involving AKQA and the wider team.