We were lucky to catch up with Fer Caggiano recently and have shared our conversation below.
Fer, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
After being criticized for painting nudes (the most traditional subject in art) I realized people would not have told me what I should or should not be painting was I a man. I was living in SC at the time and I decided to showcase inspiring women in the region so young girls would have a role model to look up to.
The project became a solo museum exhibition in Charleston. I painted 40 local women and supported 3 associations with a fundraiser based on the show. I also made a book with their portraits and stories.
You can see more about it here: https://www.fercaggiano.com/pages/like-a-girl-dare-to-dream
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was born and raised in Brazil, and despite my first award as an artist at age 12 (in a competition against adults), I still didn’t believe I could do it as a career, so I went to Marketing and Advertising for formal education. Soon after graduation (having started in the field at age 15, having a full-time job during school as I did University at night), I married an Australian, and he got transferred to the USA. I had to quit my career, and at that time, I started to dedicate myself to art. I started studying at the Art Students League in NYC and became my teacher’s assistant. Awards and recognition came fast; before I knew it, art became my full-time job.
We moved to London, and I traveled widely. With that, I had the opportunity to visit countless museums around the world. I could never have had enough of art.
Life happened, and I got divorced. I moved back to Brazil and spent four years of my life dedicated to being a full-time volunteer between a Buddhist temple and a meditation school. That period changed my perspective forever. All the longing I had for fame vanished, and suddenly, I realized I wanted to do something good with my talent.
You will find a lot of philanthropic focus on my projects, and whenever I have a chance, I contribute to causes I believe in. Either by donating art (or proceeds from my sales) or using art as a voice to promote change for the greater good.
For a couple of years now I have shifted my focus to NFTs. I started because of a charitable project and now I continue because I belive in what we are building as a preservation of art as history in the blockchain.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
It took me five months of researching before I decided to get started, and now I am 100% hooked. I have been a speaker at conferences for NFTs and am considered a community builder. It is still a very early concept and technology, so we are pioneers and currently building a foundation for something I can’t even predict what it can become.
For now, I like the aspect of Legacy (my topic this year for NFT.NYC). With the possibility of having art stored on the blockchain, we are writing and preserving history. The art will never be vandalized, damaged, or lost, and with the development of virtual galleries, we are now able to showcase our collections without borders.
How did you build your audience on social media?
The audience is there to receive something—either knowledge, rewards, or inspiration. To build an audience, you have to understand you are at their service, not the other way around.
Offer content that serves their needs, and you will have a dedicated fanbase.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fercaggiano.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fercaggiano/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fercaggiano/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fercaggiano/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FerCaggianoArt
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCivqTnk2DGARw7ogQdPqKZg
- Other: https://lynkfire.com/fercaggiano