How you survive in New York as an Artist without inherited family wealth?

Open Forum to discuss the art and life of Nicholaas Chiao - the Contemporary Artist of Belarus-American origins. Nicholaas Chiao (b.1981) Minsk, Belarus. Nicholaas was born into a family of Soviet computer scientists. Great grandfather of him, Alexander Staszewski served as the Minister of Justice of BSSR during Joseph Stalin's era. He was accused of espionage for Poland and was executed during Stalinist repressions. Nicholaas Chiao is a multidisciplinary artist working with painting, drawing, sculpture, and internet projects. He is also known for his works in a variety of styles on the themes of joy of life and sadness of death.
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Andrew
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2023 8:05 pm
Location: New York

How you survive in New York as an Artist without inherited family wealth?

Post by Andrew »

Why did you come here. To succeed in art straight from the center? To produce art grossly overpaying rent? I can understand that shall you have inherited 2 apartments from your grandmothers here you'd had situation to stay, rent out second apartment. And rent or purchase studio to work. You came here with the Green Card lottery? Why do you think that some galleries in Manhattan would not be quite happy to have your art mailed from Belarus in good quality and exhibition ready? Oh, this was before Russia-Ukraine tensions. But this situation will pass anyway.
Last edited by Andrew on Sat Jul 22, 2023 12:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Andrew
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2023 8:05 pm
Location: New York

Re: How you survive in New York as an Artist without inherited family wealth?

Post by Andrew »

Paul Gauguin choosen to escape Paris to live affordable life in freedom on Tahiti, many artists did the same. What do you expect? If you were not invited here by somebody guaranteeing you income from art or some stipend or grant, only psychopath will come with your situation. Starting from zero and no friends.
Nicholaas
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Re: How you survive in New York as an Artist without inherited family wealth?

Post by Nicholaas »

We came to US because of political reason. The Alexander Lukashenko's government was so wrong in opinion of my father and mother that they chosen to simply escape to the USA. I simply went with them upon following to urban legend of New York as the new Paris of art world. I wanted to make career with the gallery world on international level. In Belarus at that time there was next to nothing of art galleries and only pro pro governmental career chooses. Nothing independent.

In my opinion there is no guilt of Lukashenko, or only Lukashenko that Belarus near ceased computer institute which was succesfully employing my family members. It is guilt and huge mistake of Mikhail Gorbachev, whom by extent of his politics destroyed Soviet Union, instead of pushing it's factories and technologies to compete with NATO World on the adequate level. USSR needed to be industrialized one more time, not put in dirt by the hands of propaganda of better Western lifestyle and all-permittance in the import of foreign goods and advertising. Which made country indebted and poor.
Nicholaas
Posts: 107
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2023 12:01 am
Location: Brooklyn
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Re: How you survive in New York as an Artist without inherited family wealth?

Post by Nicholaas »

It is quite easy to escape to cheaper paradise like Gaughin's Tahiti, if you plan it well. I did not planned well my arrival to great and really expensive NYC. It is not really escape for the artists. You have to achieve on same level like Keith Haring, Jean Michael Basquait, Andy Warhol, or rely on the New York system of artist's support via stipends, grants residencies and teaching positions. There is actually nothing wrong in support by teaching position. If I was US University educated with local degree I'd definitely choosen to be a teacher.
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