Frog Cage Collage

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." -Cecil Beaton Emanuel Simonian is a visual fine artist and entrepreneur based in Southern California. Born into a family comprised of a concert pianist and an architect, Emanuel has been drawing, painting and sculpting since the age of three. He is the founder of former Los Angeles benchmark, The Oculus Gallery, and is the co-founder of Progressive Art Studio, one of the foremost studios of its kind. Maintaining his commitment to contemporary fine art, Emanuel follows his own voice, pushing the envelope and succeeding in being original and unique in the true essence and integrity of the avant-garde. In his own words, "Far be it from me to follow trends. I'd rather set new ones. I don't try to be the next anyone; I just try to be the first me." His telling works make a bold statement about various subjects, including humanity, society, spirituality and the environment. Ultimately, however, the art speaks for itself, and the viewer is invited to interact with each piece. In the words of the artist, "Art is creating a whole other universe, but manifesting it into the material realm of this one. Though seemingly tangible or concrete, it still maintains its own peculiar energy, which makes it strike close to home."