Fabian Debora

Fabian Debora

The meeting with Fabian was a really wonderful experience. Hearing him talk about his past and how it has shaped him into the person he is today, and how it brought him to community based art was really inspiring. One of the things that he said that really resonated with me was when he brought up the clear differences between himself, the people he works with and us. It was cool to see him directly target the privilege in the room and remind us all that our background doesn't matter when it comes to being a good community engaged artist. Fabian said that any of us could do work like the work he is doing and I felt that was a really beneficial thing to mention, especially to a class full of privileged kids attending an expensive private art school. Another thing that really struck me about Fabian was his frankness and authenticity. The way he talked about his life was so plainly put and he told it all so confidently with a smile and a laugh. I think this attitude is really impressive and  important when it comes to engaging any group. Having authenticity, being an authentic person is always an effective way to bring out the authenticity in others. Lastly the thing that stuck with me the most form Fabian's meeting with us was his dedication to the work. While he definitely doesn't seem to be the kind of person who gets caught up in the details or frustrated when things don't go to plan, it is abundantly clear that what he does, he puts all of his energy into. It's always inspiring to talk with someone so down to earth, and so determined in what they do.