DANIEL HERNANDEZ l THREAD PORTRAITS
Oxford House Projects is pleased to represent the thread portraiture of Nano Hernandez. Originally a painter, Hernandez really came into his own as an artist when he started sewing paintings—as it were.
In his portraits, every detail is painstakingly rendered from patterns and wrinkles on clothing and subtle color shifts on individual strands of hair and stubble to accessories, make-up, tattoos and glasses. For work that is hand-stitched, Hernandez’ portraits have a surprisingly muscular presence. His masterful command of a needle and thread enables Hernandez to not only create subtle shading and depth of field, but to capture striking likenesses of his subjects that conjure their essence devoid of the boastful pretense often found in portraiture.
Hernandez contrasts his intricately rendered subjects against fields of fabric—monochromatic Belgian linens, ornate brocades, clients’ heirloom fabrics et. al.—to create highly graphic, color-blocked compositions that pay homage to the stark pop portraiture of Alex Katz and Andy Warhol. Hernandez is especially known for his exquisite portraits of children that convey an innate respect for the child unfettered by sentimentality. Many have commented that the eyes of his subjects virtually blink—an outstanding feat when considering his materials.
COMMISSIONS
Hernandez' commissioned works begin with discussions with a client in order to find just the right image to work from as well as the contrasting background fabric. To inquire about commissioning a thread portrait, please contact Jennifer Lehr.
BIO
Daniel “Nano” Hernandez (b. 1969, El Paso, TX) is an artist working in Los Angeles and El Paso. His thread portraits can be found in the collections of some of today’s leading figures in art, dance, design, fashion, film and music including choreographer Pam Tanowitz, Gucci designer Alessandro Michele, art dealers Jay Jopling and Carl Schlosberg, jewelry designer Steven Webster, actress and director Ann & Anthony Russo, actors Neil Patrick Harris and Robert Downey Jr. and Madonna. Recently, Soho House acquired his portrait of fashion icon Isabella Blow for their New York collection. As an undergraduate, Hernandez attended the Yale Norfolk Summer School of Art and went on to get his MFA from UCLA in 1998.
