Carlos Cartagena was born on April 29, 1960, in Guatemala. He migrated to the United States in 1981, working various jobs until 1990, when he began his career as an illustrator for a luminous sign company. By 1991, he was painting leather jackets and custom Harley-Davidson bikes, developing his signature tasteful pin-up style. His talent earned him 1st place awards at Sturgis and Laughlin in 1995 and 1996 for his Harley-Davidson murals, leading to features on the covers of Easyriders and Hot Bike Magazines.

In 1997, Mark Buck, founder of Slap-On Decals, collaborated with Cartagena to produce large, high-quality art decals for surfboards, skis, skateboards, and snowboards. Thanks to a successful advertising campaign in 2001, Cartagena gained international recognition, with his art appearing in numerous publications.

Currently, Cartagena is pausing his pin-up art to embark on a new chapter: creating XL luxury art pieces designed for elegant, large spaces. The art world awaits to see how far he will go in this new direction.