Kurt Nahar

In 1993 Kurt Nahar (Paramaribo, Suriname, 1972) started taking classes at the Nola Hatterman Art Academy in Paramaribo, Suriname, and, apart from a brief break, he has been an art teacher there since 1997. Two years spent in Jamaica studying at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts from 2000 to 2002 signify an important step in his art. Kurt Nahar believes that artists have a responsibility to confront people with the social reality. The coup of February 25th 1980 and the inextricably linked December Murders of December 8th 1982, when the military regime murdered fifteen prominent Surinamese, have deeply affected Kurt’s life and work. In his work he addresses this and many other controversial social and political subjects in a bold, confrontational and sometimes even shocking manner. Kurt wants to use his highly critical art to start discussions about difficult subjects, past and present, in his own country and in the rest of the world. Kurt draws much inspiration from experimental art movements such as Dadaism. Another important source of inspiration is the people he comes into contact with. His oeuvre primarily comprises collages and installations. He also writes poetry that he incorporates into his visual work. Kurt Nahar was awarded a residency at the Joan Mitchell Center through apartnership with DVCAI (Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, Miami).