Juan Alvear’s Nail Art Doesn’t Skimp On Shock Factor

There are nail artists, and then there’s Juan Alvear. Having graduated from Cooper Union, where he studied sculpting and painting, his nail art is treated as an art form in and of itself—a mixture of sculpture, performance art, and cosmetics. “I don’t really separate the nails I make from the art I make,” Alvear remarked once in an interview with W Magazine. “They are all an extension of me and the nails function almost like a series in a larger body of work.”

“I see a huge relationship formally between my paintings and my nails and they definitely inspire/inform one another,” he added. “I see colors and textures and put them together to create something. I see both my nail sculptures and my paintings as ornaments of sorts: one exists to decorate the hand and the other for space.”

His creations, bizarre, misshapen, and more often than not grotesque, might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s exactly what makes them stand out as works of art rather than tidy manicures. “I can’t help but be attracted to shapes that look juicy,” admitted Alvear. “I can’t say there’s one place I look to for color inspiration but I know it when I see it.”

And judging by his celebrity clientele, which includes A-listers like Rihanna and Erykah Badu, Alvear is in it for the long run. Prepare to be taken aback.

View this post on Instagram

Who doesn’t love a longjuan ?

A post shared by Nails by Juan (@nailsbyjuan.nyc) on

View this post on Instagram

❗️#bts working with @iamkelseylu ❤️🧿🐌

A post shared by Nails by Juan (@nailsbyjuan.nyc) on

View this post on Instagram

Barbiana

A post shared by Nails by Juan (@nailsbyjuan.nyc) on