Eduardo Sarmiento
Eduardo Sarmiento (Born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1980. Lives & works in Atlanta, USA) is a multidisciplinary artist working across drawing, painting, advertising, design, and illustration. A graduate of the Superior Institute of Design (ISDI) in Havana—where he also served as an adjunct professor—Sarmiento co-founded the Camaleón Group, a collective that revolutionized the graphic landscape in Cuba in the early 2000s by blending design and art and emphasizing experimentation and expressiveness in visual communication. His work has been exhibited and published internationally and is included in the permanent collections of public institutions such as the Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) and the Rollins Museum of Art.
www.eduardosarmiento.com
What themes or emotions are you exploring in your current work?
In recent years, my work has explored the relationship between the individual and their emotions, as well as their connection to the world around us. I draw to pay attention, to shorten the distance between me and what’s not me.
What does your creative process look like?
My creative process changes depending on the technique and the size of the piece, but it unmistakably starts with a sketch. That sketch might take the shape of a drawing, a few words, or both. It attempts to be an honest exploration, an unrehearsed approximation of a feeling or a thought, not fabricated decoration.
Although sometimes, the images come from a space I don’t have access to. I’m just awake enough to see them appear and invite them in.
What inspires you outside of the visual arts?
I’m inspired by life and by many forms of art, but poetry holds a foundational place for me. It reaches truth and meaning in ways that aren’t accessible through plain language or nearly any other form of expression. Poetry is the most beautiful testament to human existence.
How do you balance personal expression with the business side of your career?
My practice is a way of living, and my studio is an extension of that life. So, the business has been a continuation of the practice, not the main goal.
What do you hope viewers feel or take away from your work?
Although the work can offer meaningful companionship, I hope for it to be an inquiry for the viewer, a mirror that keeps them awake.
