By Henry Akubuiro
No matter where you live in the world, the work of the 27-year-old transdisciplinary artist, Talia Nizarane, resonates with humanity and the way we live. Talia has thrived in a variety of creative mediums, including installation, text, performance, video, photography, and lacquer. Indeed, she has come a long way from the Caribbean island country of Cuba to make the world hear her voice and behold the work of her hands.
The artist was only 3 when she watched the September 11 suicide attacks by al-Qaeda in 2001. She watched with horror as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City and the Pentagon, were crashed into with hijacked planes by the terrorists. Man’s inhumanity to man registered in her young mind instantly. This partly has shaped the direction her art has taken. Talia attended a public school in a historically unprivileged and working-class area in Cuba. One day, the roof of the building collapsed on Easter, when children and staff were off duty. Hence, no casualties were reported, and no compensation was received or claimed by anybody.
It was later learnt that the maintenance budget had been mismanaged by corrupt officials, resulting in an unsafe structure.
The Cuban artist saw a computer with an internet connection for the first time as an adult. Needless to say, Cuba has been grappling with economic challenges for decades. She got her first passport, learned English, travelled abroad, and got diagnosed for the first time as an adult. Today, that cultural strandling has opened a window for her to have a conversation with the world, using creativity as a springboard.
She is interested in the climate crisis as a social justice crisis, and how it increases inequality in MAPA regions (Most Affected People and Areas), also known as the Global South – South America, Africa, regions in Asia, non-industrialised regions in the world. Talia recently took part in the residency programme, 100 Creative Agents of Climate Change In Place of War, Manchester, which aims to develop green skills in youths. Her recent project – Locked In, Left Out – sits under the umbrella of 100 Creative Agents of Climate Change. The workshop, which aims to empower young people aged 18-30 to develop green skills and creative advocacy skills, took place recently at Lewisham Arthouse, South London.
“There is a lack of development opportunities for young people to develop green skills in the UK,” she told Daily Sun. “There is also a recognised lack of workers with green skills. Investing in these can lead a transition away from the current climate crisis we are facing, which affects mainly communities and territories in the Global South, but benefits economies in the Global North. I believe in the power of art as a tool for social change. Developing creative advocacy skills and supporting others to develop their own skills is a priority for me.”
Her greatest takeaway leading the recent workshop and working with the organisations involved “is the collective knowledge that emerges as a result of storytelling and collaboration,” she said, adding, “Everyone already has valuable skills, a unique background, and a network that they can contribute to the conversation on climate change, and the compound efforts, voices, and experiences of the people can result in change that is out of reach when working as an individual.
Do artists have a social responsibility towards a world without strife? Talia told Daily Sun: “Artists by definition are change makers who think outside of the box and challenge preconceived definitions. We are better positioned to respond to the unique challenges of our time through the tools provided by our creative work. However, artists are also citizens that are affected by these challenges, and in the case of female disabled artists from the Global South like myself, we are disproportionately affected by these issues. Art becomes a tool for resistance and change in these contexts.”
Her work and research are informed by cultural and historical dilemmas in her native country, seeking to reach people in their everyday environments and confront them with social injustice that would be otherwise easily ignored. Last year, she exhibited her “Self Preservation” installation series, featuring 6 plaster casts decorated with urushi lacquering at her two-person show “The Road Not Taken”, Yamanaka Suplex annex MINE, Osaka. The installations in this exhibition explored the fragility of the rainwater and the resilient capacity of nature. Water is a recurring element in
Talia’s works are related Cuban immigrant histories with the US.
“Lacquer is a technically complex technique that I started to learn during a 4 month residency in Kyoto, Japan. Each cast has up to 30 layers of lacquer and ceramic powders. Each layer has a drying time of 11-24h. Small changes in temperature, or even dust particles, can destroy months of progress. The material is harmful when in contact with human skin,” she explained.
She visited the studio twice a day for six days a week to apply two layers a day and make progress that would be otherwise impossible to execute in her time window of four months. “I was lucky to receive the support of the lacquering department at the Kyoto City University of Arts, and curatorial support from Yamanaka Suplex Studio, Osaka,” she said.
Talia’s online residency with In Place of War ran for two weeks in July 2024. From 100 participants from all regions in the UK, nine creative projects, including hers, received funding, mentoring, and an in-person residency. Talia’s resulting project was presented on the 12 of April 2025 at the Lewisham Arthouse in South London. A group presentation of all projects will take place on the 11 of June 2025 in Parliament, Westminster. A related event by Talia is set to take place in February 2026 at hARTslane Gallery, New Cross Gate.
The artist was granted fully funded stays at the Zurich University of the Arts, Switzerland (2023 and 2020), the Kyoto City University of the Arts, Japan (2022), and the University of Art and Design Halle, Germany (2018). She has been selected artist in residency at In Place of War, UK (2024-5), PROGR Center for Cultural Practice, Switzerland (2024), ARE Holland, The Netherlands (2020).
Solo and two-person shows include “The Road Not Taken” at MINE, Osaka, Japan (2023), “Cleaning Service” at Schaufenster Dreiviertel, Bern, Switzerland (2021), “UNWINNABLE” at XPO, Enschede, The Netherlands (2020), and “Dificultades Iniciales” at the 13th Havana Biennial, Havana, Cuba (2019).
Her work has been featured at Tate Modern Lates, London, UK (2023) and Off-Site Project, online (2022). Distinctions include shortlisted for the Lewisham Arthouse Graduate Award 2025, “El Reino de Este Mundo” (2020) and “Antonia Eiriz” (2019) by Asociación Hermanos Saiz, Cuba. Her work is part of the Bernardo Quetglas Collection, Mallorca, Spain.
In the UK, she has been supported by The Eaton Fund, the Gane Trust, and the Royal College of Art (2022). In 2023, she became the first Cuban to attend the Royal College of Art, obtaining a Masters degree in Contemporary Art Practice with the support of RCA’s Continuation Fund.