Arkeos is radically different than other makers of decorative finishes as it was founded by artists and is run with the help of experts in science and management, and not the other way around.

One man is at the origin of Arkeos: Christian Granvelle created his first veneer plastered wall in 1977. Using his technical and artistic knowledge and skills acquired in France and Italy, he thought of creating a new type of finishes, made to emulate the beautiful textures he saw in nature or on thousands of years old palaces around the world. Oil and acrylic mediums could not achieve what he had in mind and existing Venetian stuccos did not have the panache and the versatility required. Only the Fresco technique, in its numerous variations across the world and history, had the real potential for achieving his artistic and ambitious vision.

Christian Granvelle and his assistants spent the next 20 years working on prestigious projects and clients such as the King of Morocco and of Sweden, Paloma Picasso, Yves St Laurent, Bill Gates, Michael Douglas, Bruce Springsteen, Warner Brothers, Princess Borghese, the royal Saudi Family and many more… They had plenty of opportunity to perfect their art and to test new methodologies based on the ancient technique of Fresco. His work was featured repeatedly on the cover of reputed magazines such as Architectural digest, Maison & Jardin, Interior Design, etc,...

It was then time to use all this knowledge for greater goods and in 1989, he decided to go one step further and founded a corporation called Arkeos International, along with Ino Adrian Mora, a Mexican Fresco artist. The original headquarters were in Santa Barbara, California. Thanks to the help of chemists and mineralogists and to their own knowhow and experience, they broke new grounds and created the Fresco Finishes now manufactured and distributed by Arkeos International.

Other younger fresco artists have joined the quest, adding their own passion and experience and ensuring the perpetuity of the original vision and the discovery of new applications.

Arkeos headquarters are now in Brittany, France, with production outlets in France, Mexico, Canada and California.