Santiago is a painter and multidisciplinary artist trained in the classical academic tradition in Florence and shaped by years working in India, Dubai, Thailand, Berlin, and now San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. His work unfolds in series—each a self-contained world—where color is treated as living material and mythic symbolism is embedded beneath the surface. Drawing on pigment history and contemporary materials research, he incorporates iridescent nano-pigments and ultra-black formulations to expand the painter’s “keyboard” of light.

Raised between U.S. military bases and the Caribbean tropics of Panamá, his earliest education came from a bedroom wall of leather-bound National Geographic and a family culture of looking, inquiry, and craft. He pairs disciplined foundations (Bargue drawing, value structure) with a practice of “unlearning” toward intuition and bold chroma. Recent years include solo shows in Panama, a five-year period in Berlin’s experimental scene, and large-scale works produced in Mexico. His current vision links exhibitions with youth workshops and scholarships, building a studio ecosystem that supports emerging artists across media.