About
Carlos Almenar Díaz —almenardiaz— is, first and foremost, a Master Banknote Designer.
His career began with one of the most technically demanding canvases in the design world: polymer and paper currency. In that highly regulated space of precision, security and symbolism, Carlos uncovered something deeper — a fascination with how colour, form, and visual rhythm could carry emotional and cultural meaning.
Over time, his analytical approach evolved into a personal visual language. What began as design with functional constraints became a platform for artistic experimentation. Through meticulous study of colour theory and geometric systems, Carlos transitioned into the realm of contemporary art — without ever losing the sharpness of his original discipline.
His award-winning banknote designs have portrayed the identity of diverse communities, translating national symbols into layered chromatic codes that move beyond mere ornament.
Besides his artistic work, Carlos is the founder of Banknote Art Concept, a group which values the promotion, education, and curation of the artistic and cultural dimension of cash money.
Born in Venezuela and a citizen of both France and Australia, Carlos channels this multifaceted background into work that feels intuitive and structured, calculated and sensorial. His pieces don’t simply exist on walls — they pulse, shift, and play with the eye.
“Colour is a property of our universe. It is a luminous phenomenon, an optical sensation that generates a psychological reaction.”
Carlos Almenar, 2021
Carlos was the first Venezuelan artist commissioned to design an Op-Art Swatch watch, representing his country at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, with the “Colours of Venezuela” canvas. The artwork has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale (Italy), the Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland), the Swatch headquarters in Biel (Switzerland) and currently at the Swatch One Store (Thailand).
Carlos ‘s has been displayed in public spaces across the Metropolitan region of Melbourne (Australia) and Shanghai (China). His printed artworks have been displayed across Australia, Europe and Asia and limited edition pieces have entered the collections of organisations (Print Council of Australia), public institutions (State Library of Victoria) and private collections across Australia, Europe and beyond.
In 2023, Carlos was selected for a prestigious residency at The Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai, marking a turning point in his creative trajectory. From that experience came his participation in “ARTE PULSANTE. Madrid welcomes Shanghai” held at the Espacio Cultural Serrería Belga and organised by Swatch and Madrid City Council, in 2024.
In 2025 the renowned fashion designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, fashion’s queen of colour has invited Carlos almenardiaz’s to create a series of works from his Ritmo Cromático collection to celebrate the opening of her new store in Madrid. What followed was more than a collaboration — it was a visual dialogue. Her iconic hearts, stars and clouds found new form within Carlos’s optical compositions, merging emotion with structure, delight with design.
Later that year, Carlos attended an artistic residency at The Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai where he investigated acrylic paint primary and complementary colours to create works of art while developing a new series of op-art works with moiré effects using his usual digital tools. The time spent at the Residence allowed Carlos to explore a combination of his two main creative outlets, currency design and Op-art, in a limited series of Money Artworks.