Born in 1941 in Valencia, Spain, Royo’s talent emerged at an early age. Encouraged by his father, at the age of 9 Royo was tutored in drawing, painting and sculpture. At 14 he entered the San Carlos Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Valencia, where upon completion, he continued his studies privately with Aldolfo Ferrer Amblat, Chairman of Art Studies at the Academy. Expanding his skills by working on theater sets and graphic illustrations, Royo began to exhibit in Spain, specifically Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona. With positive reception, Royo received commissions to paint the royal portraits of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. He received subsequent commissions to paint prominent political and society figures. With his growing success, Royo began to feel a desire to paint the land of his birth; to convey the light, the color and the intensity of Valencia and the Mediterranean. Taking years to perfect his style, Royo began to exhibit both in Spain and abroad, notably in London, Brussels, Copenhagen and Paris. Described as a “Painter of the Light,” Royo uses sweeping brush strokes, bold swaths of color, and heavy impasto to capture the eye and draw one inward. His masterful treatment of Mediterranean subjects are both haunting and mysterious, yet full of raw power at the same time. Thus, the appeal of Royo's work for today's collector becomes obvious.