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 2023 to learn more about his 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.

Why do you do what you do?
South Africa

What art/artist do you most identify with?
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. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine arts and a master’s degree in Illustration from the University of Stellenbosch.

What themes do you pursue the most?
Hybrid

What role does an artist have in society?
Joints & Blunts

What is your artistic outlook on life?
Art, movies, graphic novels and music. I love consuming media that get my thoughts going.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
I've been drawing since I was a very young kid. Art has always been a passion/obsession for me. It's such a part of my identity that I can't imagine doing anything else with my life.

Do you listen to music while you are creating? If yes, share the song and artist that you listen to while creating art.
Kristen Liu Wong, Cleon Peterson, Charlie Immer.

What's the best thing about being an artist?
Youth Culture. Class Struggle. Materialism

What is your dream project?
An artist should make people think and feel. Whether it's a feeling of delight and excitement or a punch in the gut. And I think that is the role of the artist in society. You can change someone's mind or show them something they have never seen or thought of or felt before.

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