Sergio Cuan

Sergio Cuan is a Cuban-American visual artist who graduated with a BFA in Art and Design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He has a passion for painting and horticulture alike, and when he realized early on that bonsai was the ideal synthesis of both, he became fascinated with bonsai as an art form. 

Sergio is a largely self-taught bonsai artist leaning on his artistic background to help hone his bonsai skills. He has also taken workshops with prominent bonsai masters Bill Valavanis, Mauro Stemberger, and Bjorn Bjorholm to further his education. Although he works on a wide range of species, he has developed a particular interest and passion for the deciduous genre. In 2014 he built a bonsai garden in northern New Jersey, in a beautiful setting surrounded by rolling hills, lakes, and deciduous forests which continues to influence his work. The garden, inspired primarily by Japanese aesthetics, features a diverse bonsai collection of various sizes and styles. 

Sergio believes that bonsai as a true art form shares commonalities with painting, drawing, and sculpture. Although the artist is bound by the physical limitations of the plant material itself, bonsai can be effective vehicles for self-expression. But unlike other art forms, bonsai is alive and in a constant state of flux. The bonsai practice is an intimate and continued dialogue between artist and nature. This relationship gives this art form its own unique dimension. Sergio also believes that one must allow the tree to guide us as we strive to capture a nuanced but powerful expression of nature in its most essential form. 

Sergio travels throughout the US and abroad leading in-person lectures, demos and workshops as well as offering virtual consultations and a digital bonsai design service. He also conducts several workshops throughout the year from his own studio and garden. 

Sergio most recently illustrated Michael Hagedorn’s latest and much celebrated book BONSAI HERESY. In 2023 he was chosen by Walter Pall to participate in the annual Master Class held at the Bonsaigarten Munchen in Germany. His bonsai have appeared on many publications including International Bonsai Magazine, Bonsai Focus and Bonsai Bark blog. He has shown at numerous exhibitions and has received several awards including “Finest Deciduous Award” at the 4th US National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, NY and “Best in Show” at the 2016 Winter Silhouette Expo in Kannapolis, NC.