"Reality becomes more interesting when it is slightly exaggerated."
Daniel Cherbuin (b. 1971) is a Swiss contemporary artist born in Zurich, where he first became active within the city's underground cultural scene during the 1990s. Initially working as a filmmaker, he collaborated with musicians and bands including Yello and Division Kent, developing a visual language shaped by cinema, music, and popular culture.
His early experiences in film led him to explore new ways of combining narrative, movement, and image-making, gradually expanding beyond traditional boundaries between video art, photography, and mixed media. Over time, he developed a distinctive artistic practice characterized by striking visual compositions, unexpected associations, and a unique balance between humor, irony, and sophistication.
Drawing inspiration from 1960s pop culture, advertising, cinema, fashion, and contemporary visual media, Cherbuin creates works that challenge conventional ways of seeing. Recurring motifs such as swimming pools, eyes, automobiles, and iconic cultural references form a visual vocabulary through which he examines themes of desire, aspiration, nostalgia, and perception.
Today, Cherbuin's works are exhibited internationally and are held in important private and public collections. Regularly presented during Art Basel week and at Photo Basel, his evolving body of work continues to position him as a distinctive voice within contemporary visual culture.