I have been following Caleb Yono's work on Instagram for a couple of years. They're genuinely a multidisciplinary artist with an incredible drawing, painting, performance, and photography practice. Their work is like if you took Cindy Sherman and Egon Shiele and they had an art baby in space. Caleb is so talented and uninhibited while also being genuine and vulnerable. When I look for an artist to work with I have to resonate with them and feel inspired by them. Working with Caleb was a no-brainer. It's always just been a matter of when. After I had them on my podcast and learned more about their art career, I realized it was time to work with them in NYC.
I think about ethereality as a state of internal harmony that the femmes experience by inhabiting a world of their own making. The world of men the real world is filled with dangers and corporeal realities that take away from the harmony of the ethereal state. In my work, the Interdimensional femmes are always seeking harmony in a world that perceives them as monstrous.
Hilde: I love bringing people together to have a good time and seeing an artist like Caleb in their career's initial moment of ascent. You only get that first time once, and I love the adrenaline, love and chaos that comes with bringing a talent worthy of note to a larger public audience.
Caleb: The Ethereal Femmes Ball, dinner and emerging artist grant is catalyst for a major turning point in my career. The grant awarded by Cultus Artem has allowed me to move into a gorgeous new studio in Chicago, moving out of my home studio will create major change in my work. I am so grateful to all of the support and words of encouragement I received by the guest. I made some new friends that are smart and engaging and that’s always beneficial. In general, I think the event gave me exposure in NYC that I would not be able to access on my own. Big thank you to Hilde and Slivana Lagos, Holly from Cultus Artem, Phillips auction house, The Standard, High Line, Monique Rollins and everyone who came out.
