iconTechnique: Mixed on metal
Alex Cuber was born in Montreal in 1975. He studied at the Academy of Arts and obtained a diploma in graphic design, as well as commercial drawing. Working for several years in the fashion industry, he simultaneously created his own works with a unique and sought-after approach. His preferred medium is acrylic, which he applies to hot-rolled steel. The paradoxes in his works are omnipresent, the industrial cold of steel versus sensuality and emotion, the abstract versus the figurative, order through chaos. Usually beginning his works with entirely abstract backgrounds, he then painstakingly refines his characters in a very realistic manner. He rightly describes his work as abstract realism since the two aspects confront each other as much as they complement each other. Often he incorporates different words painted in large letters to create an exclamation, a statement or to suggest to the viewer a meaning or message that might be conveyed. But playing once again with duality, he creates an ambivalence between the obviousness suggested by a word and the mystery which will emerge from the rest of the work. The use of numerology also plays an important role in his work. With an invented code, each work is distinctly numbered, giving it a very precise place in space and time, thus giving a sense of order in an apparent disorder. His art then becomes a living catalog of his work, his experiences and his life, inviting us in multiple ways to enter his rich and stylized universe.
For the artist, each person has their scars and everyone invents little stories or creates habits to try to hide them. The use of makeup, perfume, fancy clothes or even a big car often serves to mask vulnerability and the reality of who people really are. The artist says he paints alternative realities, exactly like those we can weave around our own lives.
Alex Cuber has participated in several individual and group exhibitions in Montreal. His works have also been used in film sets. His works are part of private and corporate collections across Canada.