Artist-to-Artist Conversation
Daniel Coka + Leon Finley (2 of 4)
Daniel: It’s interesting, because when I go to the US, I’m an Indigenous brown person. When I come [to Ecuador], I’m a middle class kid who is Mestizo. So, how can I be honest with the process of creativity and representation as an artist when it’s something that doesn’t belong to me? [...] I guess in contemporary art, you can use anything and remake it to yourself, but also be honest: ‘How am I using this, and are the tools that I’m using?’”
Daniel Coka was born in New Jersey, USA. He grew up in a Latino migrant community from Ecuadorian parents. Coka has lived in between the US and Ecuador since he was born in 1990. His work is a constant exploration of identity, in which the label cuir (Spanish for queer) has prompted an intense questioning process, while also addressing race, nationality, latinidad and masculinity. He currently lives and works in Portland OR.