Lapalme Magazine
SIR DANIEL WINN - MODERN RENAISSANCE ARTIST
As an internationally recognized blue-chip artist, Sir Daniel Winn has garnered attention for his fine art and as a highly respected philanthropist. Indirect support of Winn’s contributions to humanitarian causes; assisting in raising over three million dollars for nonprofit aid in the United States and Asia, Winn was officially knighted by the house of Schaumburg- Lippe-Nachod in 2018, awarding him with the title “Sir” – one of only five recipients of the title in the history of the royal family.
[as originally published on lapalmemagazine.com]
Among many other titles, Winn is the founder of Winn Slavin Fine Art, one of the most prestigious art galleries in Beverly Hills.
As a child refugee to the United States from Vietnam, Winn excelled in academics and went on to study medicine. During his study of reconstructive surgery, Winn broke free of family expectations and set out to pursue a life in the world of art.
“My parents worked very hard to put me through medical school to become a reconstructive surgeon, but my heart and soul was in the arts. I told my parents that instead of healing people physically, which I could only do on a limited basis as a surgeon, I wanted to create something more permanent: something that could emotionally help others, hundreds if not thousands. So, I created Existential Surrealism, which represents the big questions that people always ask. What is the purpose of life?
What is our existence? What is the reason we are here? My goal in philosophy is to try to explain through my art-visual language why we are here, what makes us exist and what is that purpose in life.”
With a background in reconstructive surgery, Sir Daniel Winn has always been fascinated by the anatomy, the golden ratio, and the Fibonacci. His love for art isn’t new, as he’s always wanted to be an artist. Winn opened a small gallery and began sculpting and painting. Due to the success of his gallery, his collectors wanted to partner with him to open an agency that represented artists, thus Masterpiece Publishing, Inc was born.
“The idea was to help them become blue-chip museum artists, to help make them famous so their value would increase over time. But unbeknownst to me, it took a lot of time. So, I had to sacrifice my dream of becoming an artist to focus on the agency and artists that I curated to make them popular worldwide.”
When Winn decided to go back to painting and sculpting, it catapulted him straight to success. As a curator for 20 years, Winn learned a lot about art, and if not for that experience as a catalyst, he wouldn’t have gained success as quickly nor as easily.
Among many other titles, Winn is the founder of Winn Slavin Fine Art, one of the most prestigious art galleries in Beverly Hills.
As a child refugee to the United States from Vietnam, Winn excelled in academics and went on to study medicine. During his study of reconstructive surgery, Winn broke free of family expectations and set out to pursue a life in the world of art.
“My parents worked very hard to put me through medical school to become a reconstructive surgeon, but my heart and soul was in the arts. I told my parents that instead of healing people physically, which I could only do on a limited basis as a surgeon, I wanted to create something more permanent: something that could emotionally help others, hundreds if not thousands. So, I created Existential Surrealism, which represents the big questions that people always ask. What is the purpose of life?
What is our existence? What is the reason we are here? My goal in philosophy is to try to explain through my art-visual language why we are here, what makes us exist and what is that purpose in life.”
With a background in reconstructive surgery, Sir Daniel Winn has always been fascinated by the anatomy, the golden ratio, and the Fibonacci. His love for art isn’t new, as he’s always wanted to be an artist. Winn opened a small gallery and began sculpting and painting. Due to the success of his gallery, his collectors wanted to partner with him to open an agency that represented artists, thus Masterpiece Publishing, Inc was born.
“The idea was to help them become blue-chip museum artists, to help make them famous so their value would increase over time. But unbeknownst to me, it took a lot of time. So, I had to sacrifice my dream of becoming an artist to focus on the agency and artists that I curated to make them popular worldwide.”
When Winn decided to go back to painting and sculpting, it catapulted him straight to success. As a curator for 20 years, Winn learned a lot about art, and if not for that experience as a catalyst, he wouldn’t have gained success as quickly nor as easily.
“By the time my work came out, it was much more cohesive and understandable because, if I had not done what I did for those other artists, I would not be as good as I am today. In a way, I was prepping myself without realizing it.”
Nothing about Sir Daniel Winn has been normal or average, including how he finds the inspiration behind his art. Normally, Sir Daniel Winn has an epiphany through his dreams at night.
“My dreams are epiphanies of what my subconscious and another realm want to create, based on my experience of society and culture and what is happening to our world now daily. Many dreams come to light that give me an epiphany of what I should create. So, when I want to create on a canvas or directly to marble for a sculpture, I meditate first. I try to clear my mind and remember the dream. Immediately after mediation, I go directly to the canvas, or marble, and begin creating exactly what I remember from that dream or memory of what I have experienced.”
The old way of thinking was that one had to choose between pursuing their passion and making money, but Sir Daniel Winn proved that both can be done.
“What I advise is for people to focus on their passion. Whatever happens, when you’re passionate about it, the outcome is going to be priceless. Do the things you feel can make a difference in the world because when you leave this world, you’re not going to take any of the money with you.”
Everything confidential and mysterious within the art world will be shared through Winn’s upcoming series, “Art Confidential: The Inside Story with Sir Daniel Winn.” “I’m excited because it conveys the understanding and the mystery of the art world; what makes art worth hundreds of millions; who determines things in the art world; what an artist goes through daily; and how art is created. It’s a walk through the entire industry through my eyes.”