Carlos Quinto Kemm

Collage artwork by Carlos Quinto Kemm showcasing his unique artistic philosophy and achievements at Duende's Lair.

Awards and Grants

  • Roswell Artists-in-Residence Program, Roswell, NM
  • Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
  • Best of Show, 31st Annual International Juried Art, Roswell Art Museum, Roswell, NM
  • Award of Merit, Fine Arts Juried Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
  • Purchase Prize, Fine Arts Competition, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
  • First Place Award, Hispanic Artists Invitational, The Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos, NM
  • Artist Teaching Residency, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY

Selected Public Collections

  • The Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
  • Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
  • Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, Roswell, NM
  • The Capitol Arts Collection, Santa Fe, NM
  • National Hispanic Cultural Center Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM

Carlos Quinto Kemm

Collage artwork by Carlos Quinto Kemm showcasing his unique artistic philosophy and achievements at Duende's Lair.

Awards and Grants

  • Roswell Artists-in-Residence Program, Roswell, NM
  • Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
  • Best of Show, 31st Annual International Juried Art, Roswell Art Museum, Roswell, NM
  • Award of Merit, Fine Arts Juried Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
  • Purchase Prize, Fine Arts Competition, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
  • First Place Award, Hispanic Artists Invitational, The Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos, NM
  • Artist Teaching Residency, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY

Selected Public Collections

  • The Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
  • Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
  • Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, Roswell, NM
  • The Capitol Arts Collection, Santa Fe, NM
  • National Hispanic Cultural Center Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM

Metaphormations

Having begun my artistic career painting and drawing, in the late 70’s I began experimenting with the medium of collage. My early work began with simple, small flat collages. Over time, the technical demands have challenged me to evolve and refine unique techniques to communicate that visual language. Some works have required several years of single-minded effort to bring to completion.

Allied to visionary and mystical pathways, my work feeds my questing need to make sense of life’s purpose. It is my heartfelt desire to give visual dialogue to those levels beyond personal symbols that will speak of the complexities of modern life in an age of incomprehensible madness.

I believe the collage medium is a largely misunderstood, yet incredible visual tool to stimulate imaginative awakenings. After 40 years, I still find the collage medium fresh and innovative. I find its ability to communicate metaphorical language of man’s inner spiritual search ~ limitless.

I welcome this opportunity to share the fruits of many years. May your own imagination be sumptuously fed!”

– Carlos Quinto Kemm

Instagram

Caveté! Caveté! — Complete. The work is finished. The final details are in place: the dense still life beneath the skeleton — ducks, rabbits, crabs, chains, lemons, fish — layered carefully to create weight and texture. The darkened water below settles into something heavier, almost tar-like, slowly oozing outward from the pile. Above, the banner reads Morir Per No Morir — “To die for not dying” or “Dying so as not to die”. A statement suspended over the entire scene. The ornate border, inspired by antique furniture design, locks everything into place — structure holding chaos. Now the next step begins: preparing the piece for print release. Thank you for following the process. More soon. #DuendesLair #CarlosQuintoKemm #CaveteCavete #FineArt #DimensionalCollage
New prints are now available online. You can now bring home fine art prints of Alchemy, La Dolce Vita, Head Reliquary, and Don’t Give Up — four of Carlos Quinto Kemm’s most detailed and layered dimensional collage works. Each piece is reproduced to capture the richness, texture, and depth of the originals — from the symbolic intensity of Don’t Give Up, to the ornate sacred presence of Head Reliquary, the theatrical mythology of La Dolce Vita, and the transformative power of Alchemy. If you’ve followed these works, studied them, or connected with their themes, this is your chance to own a print and live with the detail up close. Available now on the website. Link in bio #DuendesLair #CarlosQuintoKemm #FineArtPrints #DimensionalCollage #ArtCollectors
More progress… In this update, Carlos talks about finishing the bottom section of the piece. This is where the fine details come in: chains, lemons, dead birds, fish — small elements that may seem secondary but actually anchor the entire composition. He’s always enjoyed working with still life objects like this. There’s something challenging and satisfying about building those quiet, detailed areas — arranging forms, adjusting shadows, creating balance through texture and placement. The bottom section will add weight and realism to the piece, giving the eye a place to rest while strengthening the overall structure. More progress soon as the final layers come together. #DuendesLair #CarlosQuintoKemm #WorkInProgress #StillLife #DimensionalCollage
Work in progress In this video, Carlos shares how the background for this piece has come to be, the setting has to feel solid — the columns, the walls, the floor, the depth of the space. The background is built in layers just like the figures. Pieces are cut, shaped, and stacked to create real shadow and dimension. A lot of time goes into getting the perspective right and making sure everything feels balanced before moving forward. It’s slow, detailed work — but the foundation makes the entire piece stronger. More updates as it continues to develop. #DuendesLair #CarlosQuintoKemm #WorkInProgress #DimensionalCollage #collageartist
Here’s a look at the new piece Carlos has been working on. Before it becomes a finished artwork on the wall, it starts like this — dozens of individual cutouts laid out on a table. Each element is selected, trimmed, shaped, and then slowly built into layers to create real depth and shadow. A lot of time is spent moving pieces around, testing placement, adjusting spacing, and building structure before anything is permanently attached. It’s patient, hands-on work — cutting, gluing, shaping, and assembling until everything feels balanced. More progress updates soon. #DuendesLair #CarlosQuintoKemm #ArtInProgress #CollageArt #ArtistStudio
✨ Wait for it… Pieces.
Layers.
Shadows stacking. “The Water Dancer” rises out of the paper in this latest Duende’s Lair reveal. What starts as scattered fragments slowly becomes motion, flow, and depth you can almost step into. This is the magic of dimensional collage — not just art you see, but art you feel. Watch to the end. Then watch it again. You’ll catch something new every time. 🌊 #DuendesLair #TheWaterDancer #FineArt #SurrealArt #ArtProcess
Built and assembled. This new figure came together from nearly a dozen separate fragments — cut, layered, and assembled by hand. Follow for more updates 🖼️ Prints, Signed editions & the 2026 calendar available in our shop.
👉 Duendes-lair.com #DuendesLair #CollageArt #ArtProcess #FineArt #wip
🌀A new look at stunning new figures. New video coming this week with a closer look at how Carlos created his main figures. He talks about what was used and how he shapes the figure to his liking. #dimensionalcollage #collageartist #carlosquintokemm #duendeslair #wip
A closer look 👀 at the details in The Water Dancer by Carlos Quinto Kemm. Foot prints in the rocks, a world built out of desert and stone. Sculptures and carvings surround the dancer. Her dress flows with bats and mirrors the sky and water. #duendeslair #carlosquintokemm #TheWaterDancer #details #artwork
The Water Dancer unfolds in layers—revealed differently with every angle. In this new carousel, we move closer. Details emerge: the dancer suspended mid-motion, creatures gathered in quiet witness, landscapes colliding between myth and memory. Each frame offers a fragment of the larger story—gesture, texture, tension, and flow. Carlos Quinto Kemm’s work resists a single point of view. Like water itself, the piece shifts depending on where you stand, what you notice, and how long you linger. The dancer is not frozen in time but caught in a continual state of becoming—balanced between worlds, movement, and meaning. This is an invitation to slow down, to look again, and to let the work speak in its own rhythm. Swipe through to enter The Water Dancer. Now nearing completion at Duende’s Lair. #TheWaterDancer #CarlosQuintoKemm #DuendesLair #ContemporaryAssemblage #MixedMediaArt
In this video, Carlos Quinto Kemm walks through the creation of the final border for his newest piece, The Water Dancer—a moment where the artwork fully finds its frame and rhythm. The border wasn’t treated as a simple edge or finish, but as an active, living element of the composition. Layer by layer, Carlos shaped it to echo movement, water, and transition—allowing the dancer to feel both contained and in motion at the same time. Subtle textures, tonal shifts, and hand-built details pull the eye inward, guiding the viewer back into the story at the center. This finishing stage is where intention meets instinct—where the piece decides how it wants to be held, seen, and experienced. Now entering its final phase at Duende’s Lair, The Water Dancer reveals how even the edges carry meaning. #duendeslair #carlosquintokemm #thewaterdancer #dimensionalcollage #beautifulbizarre
📜 Scroll through to the end to see how the world has evolved. Layer by layer each cut and piece has created beauty in a new desert world. 🏜️ The final placement has been decided and the water dancer is born. The last installment of this piece will be a video showing the final border created. More to come ✨ #duendeslair #carlosquintokemm #thewaterdancer #dimensionalcollage #collageartist
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