MID-CAREER: NIMAI KESTEN
“I was made aware of the art of Nimai Kesten through Alexander and Stephane Venet, the twin sons of French sculptor Benar Venet and art dealer Ella Venet. We both grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and had the same friends, but our paths never crossed. I was friends with his sister Khadijah who was the best friend of Maggie Rothenberg, the daughter of painter Susan Rothenberg and noted artist Bruce Nauman.”
In 2012 I had recently relocated to Los Angeles from New Orleans. Stephane and Alexander thought it would be a good idea for us to meet and possibly work together.
I liked Nimai from Day 1. He was a kind, unique and beautiful human being. If any of you ever have the pleasure of meeting him, you will feel as if you have known him your entire life. His compassion, empathy and humanity, are bar none.
He’s a socio-political multidisciplinary artist from New York City living in Santa Monica and working in South Central. Nimai is what I refer to as a ‘real’ artist with pedigree.
His work is personal and based on his life’s experiences. His work is his therapy, how he communicates the transgressions committed against him and others.
It’s admirable, commendable, and honorable that he remains optimistic that his primary focus remains the work. He’s dedicated to his studio practice regardless of not having serious representation or a committed collector base.
Regardless, he never gives up hope that he will one day find an audience. If anyone is deserving of recognition, or to be celebrated and collected it is him.
I believe wholeheartedly, that it’s all about putting the work where the public can view it.
This is why I asked him to be a part of this issue.
Below is a conversation between two friends and colleagues.
Terrence Sanders-Smith - How long have you been an artist?
Nimai Kesten - When I was a 5 years old, I created block paintings, my father’s still has a few to this day. We would visit Pearl Paint on Canal Street which was a couple of blocks from our loft in Soho. My father and I would load up on art supplies. He would buy me whatever I wanted. My inspiration and influence came from my mother, who at the time was making minimalist color form paintings. My parents both went to art school and in 1966 they purchased a building on Grand Street and were very much part of the art community in Soho. My parents were friends with many prominent artists, most of which lived in the neighborhood. For me at an early age I could remember artists being celebrated, and they were my heroes and what I wanted to be when I grew up. Practically everybody’s parents I knew were important artist.
When I was 26 years old I realized how critical it was for me to take my studio to the next level. I really enjoy making art and the creative process so I started to paint more frequently.
I would staple large canvases to the walls of my apartment. Chuck Close’,s early photo-realistic paintings really influenced me. I found the combination of scale, and the fact that the faces were so large, and the expressions somber and awkward really resonated with me.
I’ve viewed countless figurative paintings over the years in museums and galleries but these paintings were different, they seem so real, and they jostled me.
TSS - Why are you an artist?
NK - It’s who I was born to be. It’s absolutely necessary for my peace of mind and well being that I express myself and create artworks.
TSS - If you could go back in time to your youth, what would you change regarding your art practice and education?
NK - Hindsight being 20/20 I would’ve continued with my art education securing a fine arts degree.
This is an unspoken requirement of the art world. Although being rebellious and going against the grain appeals to me on a personal level. I never thought a degree was necessary, considering, that I believed artists are born into their practice and not cultivated by an institution.
I don’t think an art degree proclaims anybody to be an artist. I think most people that have any kind of self-awareness, and or the ability to reflect would have some regrets. I certainly do. In general, the journey for myself thus far has been amazing.
TSS - Do you have a studio, and if yes, what neighborhood is it located?
NK - My studio is in Hyde Park, the mid-city district of Los Angeles. Basically where South Central begins. During the summer I find it hard to work there just because it’s uncomfortably hot. I also have a work space in my apartment/studio in Santa Monica where I work on paintings that don’t involve too many chemicals.
TSS - Was there a life event that triggered you to articulate your struggle in a visual dialogue?
NK - When I was born, my parents were into eastern religion and the counterculture of the times. My parents were very involved in iskcon or more commonly known as the Hare Krishna’s. At 4 years of age my parents separated and mom moved back to Boston where she grew up.
For years, my dad raised both my sister and I as a single father full-time. My mom became more involved in the Krishna consciousness movement. I was 6 years old and my mom thought it would be a good idea for me to attend the Hare Krishna boarding school. So at six years old I was shipped off to a remote Hare Krishna farm community in Lake Huntington, New York. The Hare Krishna ‘s were a booming worldwide society in the late 70s and there were about 10 schools worldwide. I spent five years in this boarding school mostly isolated from my parents and family. I would see them occasionally during the school year, if at all. To put it mildly and paint a picture of this place, the idea was that we would become little monks that we would develop into Brahmans, the highest class of religious order in the Vedic, Hindu tradition. The problem was we were Westerners practicing an ancient culture, and it came with it’s fair share of issues.
In 1977 the founder of ISKCON, Sirla Prabhupada passed away and a power struggle ensued. The society was rifled with corruption, and child abuse. Women were abused and considered less intelligent than their male counterparts.
The transition from a little monk to 80s graffiti writing, skateboard punk was swift. These years were very formative for me. The downtown art scene, fashion, hip-hop, nightlife was instrumental in my development.
TSS - How would you categorize your art practice?
NK - My work is multidisciplinary. I use a huge spread of mediums and materials to make my work. My work is socio-political with a focus on space duality and the common place intersecting religion, politics, history, and the human condition exploring the contradictions within.
TSS - Why do you think you haven’t been chosen by a reputable gallerist and or art dealer to exhibit?
NK - I’m not sure. Perhaps my time hasn’t arrived yet. I continue to make my work regardless. What I find frustrating without financial support is the fact that you can’t realize many of your visions because of lack of funding. Nonetheless, my work moves forward.
TSS: Do you believe the Art World is fair especially for artists who are over 40, self-taught, and didn’t attend the right art school?
NK - I think nothing in life is fair or unfair. It is, what it is, for the most part. The art world is a commercial market place. It’s certainly challenging to get noticed if you’re not an alumni of an MFA program at Yale or some other prominent art institutions.
TSS - Why do you continue to create art knowing there is no audience?
NK - I’m meant to do this, and just because I don’t have a broad audience doesn’t make it less important or relevant. I will continue my dedication to my work, regardless.
TSS - Why don’t you quit, give up? Some say the art World is rigged and no matter how great, important and relevant the work is you will never be accepted. What are your thoughts and or concerns?
NK - I agree that the art world has a lot of nepotism and favoritism towards certain artists. But putting that aside, I don’t make art to cater to them anyway. I ‘m confident, that I could make art that’s easier to look at, aesthetically pleasing, and simple. Would that create a marketplace for myself? Who knows, but I refuse to do that. I have to stay true to what I’m doing, my process, and continue no matter the outcome.
TSS - How do you see your art future playing out? What is your desired end result? What is your legacy and what do you want our readership to know about the character and belief system of Nimai Kesten.
NK - I’m not sure, only time will tell. Of course, like any artist, I would like to be admired and recognized for my work. The dream would be to have my work permanently in the collections of museums. I’m ambitious and I want to be written into the history of art. Nothing in life is what it seems. All humans struggle. It’s my desire to have a dialogue with my viewers through the topography of my visual expression.
CONTACT NIMAI FOR A STUDIO VISIT: www.nimaikesten.com / nimai51splitter@yahoo.com
