Nelson De La Nuez stands as a highly coveted contemporary Pop artist, with his work being a prominent presence in the art world today. His remarkable mixed media creations, characterized by striking and vivid imagery, draw inspiration from the vocabulary of wealth, power, fame, excess, taste, and access. Through these motifs, he weaves a compelling narrative about modern society. Often hailed as The King of Pop Art, De La Nuez is a natural iconoclast, taking themes from commerce, pop culture, advertising, and branding and using them as a platform to offer insightful commentary on our culture. In his art, he skillfully illustrates that the entire world is up for sale, with a tone that is both ironic and aspirational, challenging our perceptions and ideals.
Included in the “Who’s
Who List of the Most Collected Artists of Our Time '', De La Nuez was born in
Cuba and moved as a child to California, where he was initially introduced to
many of the iconic images that he uses in his art to this day. His ability to
experience these important cultural touchpoints at such a young age with a
purely fresh perspective allows him a distinctive point of view—one that is
both critical and embracing, sardonic and sentimental—that lends his work an
air of accessibility and curiosity, and has led to his significant popularity.
Demonstrating that art
can be both humorous and intellectual, he first gained recognition in the
1980s for his unique Pop Art style, using familiar imagery from popular board
games, as well as newspaper articles, vintage advertisements, and other visual
references that spoke about upward mobility to an emerging luxury audience.
“My artwork is a reflection of who I
am today as a result of every event that has taken place in my life, every
person I have met, and everything I have processed through my senses up until
this point in time.”
Always evolving, he is
a master at embedding deeper meaning into familiar visual references, updating
his original artworks to reflect the culture of society today while maintaining the
respect and integrity of the reference from which he borrows.
De La Nuez resides in Los Angeles. His work
hangs alongside the world’s most valuable artists in some of the most prestigious
galleries around the globe, is exhibited regularly at top-tier art shows
including Art Basel Miami, Art Central Hong Kong, Context and Art Market
Hamptons, and is part of numerous private collections. He has been commissioned
by numerous high-profile brands to create bespoke installations including
Hermes and Kim Kardashian’s ShoeDazzle, and has earned a long list of celebrity
admirers, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Warren, Howie Mandel, Kaley
Cuoco, and Kelly Clarkson.
EXHIBITIONS
2021 Hamptons Market Art & Design. The Bridgehampton
Museum
“Beach
Life” DTR Modern Gallery, Nantucket
“Live
It Up” De La Nuez, Jennifer Balcos Gallery, Buckhead, ATL
“Winter
Wonderland”, DTR Modern Gallery, Washington DC
2020 DTR
Modern Gallery, New york
White
Room Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY
A
Style Gallery, Solo Show, Hong Kong
DTR
Modern Gallery, Boston
2019 Pop
Art Then & Now, DTR Modern Gallery, Boston, MA
Melbourne
Art Fair, Royal Exhibition Building, Australia
Hamptons
Market Art & Design, the Bridgehampton Museum
2018 Baselworld,
Basel, Switzerland
Art Market
San Francisco, CA
LA Modern
& Contemporary Art Show, CA
Pop, Bang;
De La Nuez, DTR Modern Palm Beach, FL
2017 Corum
Bubble Watch; Miami Art Basel, FL
Miami Beach
Art Basel, FL
“Made in
America Solo Show”, Ceasar’s Palace, SKYE Art Gallery, Las Vegas
“Pop
Masters” DTR Gallery Boston, MA
Ritz Carlton
Georgetown, Washington DC
Hong Kong
Art Basel, Hong Kong
“Big Red
Dots”, Saatchi Gallery
De La Pop
Luxe Collection, Ritz Carlton, Cancun
Art Palm
Beach, Palm Beach, FL
2016 Ceasar’s
Palace, Las Vegas, NV
AAF New
York, NY
Palm Springs
Fine Art Fair, California
2015 “The
Art of Pop and Comics” Coral Springs
Museum of Art, Florida
“Pop Iconoclast: Nelson De La Nuez”
SMoCA, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Scottsdale, AZ
LA Art Show,
LA Convention Center, Los Angeles CA
2014 Miami Beach Art Basel: Red Dot, Miami
Beach, FL
Art
Southampton International Contemporary & Modern Art Fair, Southampton, NY
Toronto Love
Art Fine Art Fair, Toronto, Canada
Art Palm
Beach, Palm Beach, FL
LA Art Show, LA Convention Center, Los Angeles CA
2013 Miami Beach Art Basel: Scope, Miami Beach,
FL
Miami Beach
Art Basel: Red Dot, Miami Beach, FL
Houston Fine
Art Fair, Houston, TX
HONORS NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS & MEDIA
Private Air Luxury Homes Magazine, Worth Magazine,
Los Angeles Magazine, New York Times
West Palm Beach News, LA Times, Miami Magazine, Ocean Drive
E! Celebrity Favorites, Inside Edition, San Diego Magazine,
Gotham News Magazine, OK Weekly
MTV Cribs, many episodes/celebrities’ homes
America’s Next Top Model (Art interior design for mansion)
HGTV, “Designer’s Challenge”-Interview & visited studio:
“Candy Coated Bedroom”
VH1: Fabulous Life of: “The Latest in Billionaire Home Décor,”
“TMZ: Michael Jackson’s Final Art Purchase.”
PRESTIGIOUS COLLECTORS/CORPORATIONS
Delta One VIP Club: Purchased for their Permanent Private Collection, In LAX, NY (JFK)
Bagatelle LA/STK, Club/Restaurant, The One Group, Los Angeles, CA
Backstage at the Geffen Red Carpet/ De La Nuez Pop Art-Honoring Sir Elton John/David Furnish and George Lucas
"The Art of Pop and Comics" Coral Springs Museum of Art, Florida
Backstage at the Geffen Red Carpet/ Nelson De La Nuez Pop Art : Honoring Steve Martin & Walt Disney Chairman Alan Horn
Michael Jackson, Seth MacFarlane, Jay Leno, Steven Spielberg, Kathy & Rick Hilton, Penny Marshall, Howie Mandell,
Robin Williams, David Copperfield, Diane Warren, Britney Spears,
Creator of E! Entertainment, GM/EVP Science Channel, Debbie Myers Adler
Vice President of Development for FYI/A & E Networks, James Bolosh
Chief Creative Officer/EVP, Virgin Records, Ron Fair
Sotheby’s Fine Art Auctions
HONORS
70th Anniversary Artist for Wizard of Oz film’s celebration exclusively for Warner Bros.- created original art that toured the world
A limited edition US Postage stamp was created of De La Nuez’s “Ditching Dorothy” artwork.
Fredrix Canvas Co. Spokesperson for the top canvas company in the country
Listed on Who’s Who List of the Most Collected Artists of Our Time for Auction Houses
