High Artist Spotlight: Cobus Nienaber
Cobus Nienaber is an artist and illustrator based in Cape Town, South Africa. He works in a variety of media and draws inspiration from contemporary fine art as well as illustration, comics, and animation. He is fascinated by youth culture and enjoys dreaming up unique, bizarre, stylized and sometimes semi-abstract characters often dressed in a bold fashion style. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine arts and a master’s degree in Illustration from the University of Stellenbosch.
We recently caught up with Cobus after High Art 2022 to learn more about hisr most recent inspirations:
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Where do you find your creative inspiration?
I'm a rabid consumer of media. I get my ideas from films, music, podcasts and the news. I check High Fructose, Artsy and Juxtapoz magazines on a daily basis. I simply love looking at art and I'm fascinated and inspired by how artists and creators think.
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Why do you do what you do?
I started drawing at a young age and always knew I wanted to do something creative for a living. Art has been my passion for as long as I can remember.
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What art/artist do you most identify with?
Charlie Immer, Brendan Danielson, Cleon Peterson
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What themes do you pursue the most?
Youth culture, subcultures, class struggles, inequality
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What role does an artist have in society?
In my opinion, an artist's role is to broaden others' minds - show them something new or show them something old in a new way. Make people think of something in a different way.
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What is your artistic outlook on life?
My artistic development is ongoing. I have to keep evolving, experimenting, practicing.
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What advice would you give to your younger self?
Learn as much as you can, try to learn from criticism, stay focused and be confident in your work.
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Do you listen to music while you are creating? If yes, tell us your favorite song and artist.
John L by Black Midi
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What's the best thing about being an artist?
The feeling that you have created something new out of nothing. Exploring and experimenting and playing. Immersing yourself in the creative process, all these things are very satisfying.
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What is your dream project?
My dream project would be to put together a large exhibition of sculptures, paintings and drawings that are thematically linked.
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