Not many, in fact, only a few in the world, are honored with the prestigious title of ‘Sir.’ Sir Daniel Winn is one of them! On top of raising funds for non-profit aid in the US and Asia, he has created an art empire on his own where his work has been featured at esteemed exhibitions worldwide and even founded one of the most prestigious art galleries in Beverly Hills, Winn Slavin Fine Art. Now, despite the harsh times caused by the pandemic, his passion and determination have led him to open another art gallery on Rodeo Drive. Sir Daniel has quite a career, and, we think, his story will inspire you to chase after your own dreams. We’re excited to share our exclusive interview with Sir Daniel on his journey in conquering both the world of arts and business.

Where are you based?
Los Angeles, California.

What do you love most about art?
How it can communicate without words through a visual language. And how people can feel when they look at a piece of art rather than trying to read it or listen to it.

How did you become a fine art curator?
It was a business decision. We established our company as an agency to represent artists and to help foster the growth of their careers. In essence, not unlike a publicist, part of what we do is to help make the artists famous. And part of making them recognizable means I have to be able to curate and understand their art, and to get it into museums and galleries all over the world. Curating is a profession that includes a lot of things — publicist, agent, director, producer, and mentor.

You are a blue-chip artist. Could you describe what “blue chip” means?
A blue-chip artist is a term that was coined for the old masters, like da Vinci, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Rodin. It usually refers to artists that have passed on. However, more contemporary artists that are still alive loosely use it as a way to show that they’re protected. There are blue-chip properties and blue-chip stocks — like AT&T, Microsoft, Google — and the value of their portfolios always increases. The same thing applies to blue-chip artists, meaning, over time, even when the artist is still alive, the value increases, and it does not decrease, because it is being monitored and protected by an agency. My art, for example, is protected by my agent who not only protects its value, but also markets it and puts it in high-end museum installations, art fairs, and galleries. Also, anything that may go on the internet, the agent will snatch it up in order to protect my reputation and my work.

Before entering the world of art, you were on track to become a doctor. What made you decide to switch career fields?
I always wanted to create. But I initially chose the medical profession because of my cultural background — my parents were very traditional in that they wanted me to be a doctor or an engineer. I felt that being a doctor would be more creative than an engineer. But I later realized that as a doctor, I could only help people for a brief moment in terms of the physical healing, but that it would not last as long as my art. So I ultimately chose to be an artist since I felt I could help to heal people intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

What would you tell those that want to have a career in fine arts?
My advice would be to have passion, to have tenacity, and to be very patient. It’s not easy. It’s like winning a rare lottery ticket. It doesn’t matter if you are good or great. Like in the movies, you can be a great actor, but not a movie star. And if you can't act, you can still be in movies. It’s a matter of timing, marketing, who you know, what you know, and how you connect it all. You have to be prepared to accept and embrace the fine arts even if you're not successful financially. Because if you’re expecting to make a financial gain, you may be very disappointed. There’s a very small percentage that will make it, just like Hollywood. But if you can fulfill yourself through the art itself, to communicate what you want and to have people view your work, and if that is enough, then go for it. If not, you need to know that it is a very difficult profession.

Could you tell us about the business of running an art gallery? What would you say is the most challenging part of this job?
As an owner, it’s difficult to find the right art specialists that are curators, understand art, have the charisma to be able to sell the art, and are able to communicate in a way that the artist would. Because the artist is not there to communicate their philosophy and language to the viewer. So it’s up to the art specialist to do that with the public and to the potential client or collector. They also have to love it and have a passion for it.

In what ways do you think COVID-19 impacted your work and the art world at large?
It impacts it tremendously because people were unable to go to museums and galleries to physically see that artwork, or even be able to touch it tactfully as a three-dimensional piece of art, like sculptures. So, you've lost that sense of touch and visual sense of it in front of you. Granted, they do have online virtual tour guides, but it's not the same thing. So that affects the connectivity of what the artist is trying to communicate.

And how do you believe the art world is recovering?
I’m not sure if the art world has recovered, because we're still in the latter part of Covid. Right now there is such a disconnection. For the last year, half of the museums and galleries have been closed, so it's not really recovered in that sense. I feel that it would take a year or even a few years to really see the impact and to see how people will return to the fine art world.

How do you choose the kind of art you end up showcasing? Any particular art movements that interest you?
In terms of selecting the art and the artists to be exhibited in the gallery in Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and other galleries worldwide, there is a process of submission. We get submissions on a regular basis. The gallery director looks at the work and, if he feels it’s something that is appropriate for the gallery, then it would go on my desk. Once it goes to my desk, I look at both sides, the business side of it and the artistic side of it. And if it passes that with me, then I would present that to my associate partners in the company — though if I approve it, they will approve it. Then I would have a discussion with the artist to talk about their artwork, their credentials, philosophy, even their personality. If their personality does not match with what we're looking for in our staple artist, again, that would be a consideration. Another consideration is how they’ve been represented in the past. Because our gallery is so upscale, they will be exhibiting next to all the other blue-chip artists who have great credentials. And any quote-unquote “issues” they may have had in the past, if they were overly represented or a commercial artist or Internet artist or artists that are sold as posters or limited editions, that is a factor, because it could affect our credibility, and it also affects our other blue-chip artists.

What is one thing about the LA art scene that is unique from other cities?
It’s raw, similar to New York, but different too. There's a rawness that is also glitzy. Think Andy Warhol; think a Hollywood feel, but yet with modernism, contemporariness, and a Hollywood flare. Because we are Hollywood, there’s a glamourous side to it that is different internationally — that has a unique je ne sais quoi quality to the artwork.

You were awarded the “Philanthropic Artist of the Year” in 2019 by NEST Foundation. Could you talk about what your philanthropic work in the US and Asia consists of?
I've involved myself in a lot of philanthropic work over the decades. I donate my artwork or my colleagues’ artwork to organizations. We also directly gift funds too. I, myself, am most focused on orphanages and homelessness, and under-privileged people that cannot get medical care, whether that's in the US, Asia, or internationally. I work directly with organizations, sometimes traveling abroad to deliver the medical products or food or medicine directly to the orphanages or to the temples, or to those nonprofits. I've helped raise millions of dollars for charities, and a hundred percent of it goes directly to the cause.

When did you get into philanthropy?
Being an immigrant from the war-torn country of Vietnam, I understand what it’s like to have everything and lose everything. When we came to the US, my parents struggled and lived in a very modest apartment. My father went to law school; my mother went to architecture school. And my mother and I didn't speak any English at all. When I finished medical school, I still wanted to become an artist, so I lived in my car for several years. So I know what it is to struggle. And I didn't want others to go through that extent of pain. So anything that I can do to help benefit others makes me feel better about myself. My mother was very philanthropic too. She would go to Asia and do a lot of charity work and donate to temples. And just watching that made me understand that this is something that I want to do too.

How do you merge art and philanthropy?
Art and philanthropy merge as one because art is a visual communication to the world and it can also benefit humanity. My work, my philosophy, is called Existential Surrealism, which is in essence about existence and humanity. And if I can also raise money and make money through my art, and use those funds for philanthropy, that's how they merge together in a fusion. My philosophy, my art, charity, it all encompasses as one.

What are some causes that you believe should have an increase in advocacy?
I feel it is necessary to encourage the anti-hate movement. I feel right now, with Covid-19, there's a lot of “cabin fever.” People are angry, upset, depressed, and their emotions may be misdirected. My goal is to enlighten the world a little bit more with beauty, happiness, and joy, and maybe, possibly, having something that balances out the hate. We all should unite as one to conquer the enemy. The enemy is not one another, but a virus that is creating havoc with humanity. That is the enemy. It’s my hope that I can communicate that through my art, through my visual language, and now through my sculpture that I'm hopefully unveiling in November, which is called “Unity.”

You were knighted in 2018 - that’s amazing! Could you talk about this experience? What was going through your head when you were knighted?
Being knighted was a surreal experience because I'm probably only the only Vietnamese-American to become a knight. And to be knighted by the Schaumburg-Lippe-Nachod Prince, who only knighted five people before he passed away last year, was never even in my repertoire of dreams. But now that it did happen, I feel it is my responsibility to use that title to benefit society and humanity as a whole by doing charity work; to contribute to society and philanthropic causes.

How are you staying positive?
I try not to listen to the news too much. I read the peripheral, the summary, the bullet points, and I try not to dwell on it. I instead immerse myself in my creations. I don't want to bring any negativity into my art because that would affect it. I want to communicate in a way that is positive. Now, I’m not a Pollyanna; I’m not excessively optimistic. That’s not me. Of course, reality sets in. But to be optimistic and to be positive, I have to constantly immerse myself in positive thinking, meditation, yoga, exercise, and creativity — and also continue to do charity work. Because the more I feel that I'm contributing to society and to the world, the more I feel positive about myself.

What’s your motto in life?
It’s very simple. The only true measure of our existence and our lives on this planet, for this brief time, is the positive influence that we have on the lives of others. Because when we leave this world, that is the measure of how people remember us, and what we've done with that is what’s most important.

To learn more about Sir Daniel Winn, please follow him via the below platforms:
https://www.sirdanielwinn.com/
Instagram - sirdanielwinn
Gallery - https://winnslavin.com/

Sir Daniel Winn, Sculpting The History of The Arts