Interview with Nelson Cabán
Nelson Cabán is a visual artist based in Hong Kong and New York City. We have conducted an interview with him about his artwork, recent exhibitions:
How did you cope with two bases: in New York City and Hong Kong? Is it difficult to shuttle between the two locations?
New York and Hong Kong both have their benefits. New York will always maintain a certain caché in the international arts market, although I feel that it is far from its creative peak of the 1980s. Hong Kong is the 3rd largest market for art in the world and its close proximity to mainland China makes it impossible to ignore for an emerging artist. The trip definitely takes a toll, every two months approximately, 16 hour direct flight but these trips allow me the time and the space to come up with ideas for shows and products..or just plain old sleep!
Where can we see your recent exhibitions? What is the theme of your recent artwork?
My most recent show was at City Hall in Philadelphia and will be on display until early December. Additionally, there is a show that will be ending soon currently hanging in Paris. My more recent artwork has been heavily influenced by Chinese aesthetics though thematically it is still politically charged.
How does social media help you in the sales and awareness building? What are your good experiences in this arena?
Social media has been absolutely indispensable for building awareness of my brand and my work. For example, facebook has an audience approaching 1 billion and subscribers who are constantly online. There is power if you can direct your product, in this case artwork, to an audience whose interests include art. My experiences so far have been positive in this regard and has allowed me to present my work to people all around the world.
Do you find social issues and political narratives difficult to express in painting? Why. What do you hope your artwork can impress on people you can reach?
It is becoming increasingly difficult to present political ideas and issues on a 2-dimensional surface. Recently I have been utilizing sculpture, neon, and eventually multimedia to present my ideas more effectively. Painting can be too limiting. I hope that my paintings will spark an idea, or create dialogue with the viewer. Often I add symbols and cryptic messages within the work that are intended to lead them to question further and to seek out more information independently. If you are not planting a seed of knowledge in someone's mind that will continue to grow long after they have left your exhibition, what is the point of creating the work?
More info about Nelson:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NelsonCabanArt
International Artist. Refined. from NelsonCaban on Vimeo.
