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.
