ABOUT HARDCORE CUDDLE CLUB

The Hardcore Cuddle Club was launched on February 14, 2025, as a response to the political and social state we are living in. In times like these, we need comfort, connection, and love. We need cuddles.

Research shows that a good cuddle can slow the heart rate and reduce stress hormones, helping the body feel calm, safe, and at ease. Cuddling is a simple, radical act of care.

Membership in the Hardcore Cuddle Club is free.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Nelson Santos is an artist, curator, educator, and the founder of the Hardcore Cuddle Club.

Through objects and shared experiences, Santos tells queer stories, cultivates intimacy, and invites moments of collective magic. His multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, photography, video, installation, and performance, yet remains rooted in presence—centering the lived experience of the viewer or participant over the endurance of the object. His work has been presented in galleries, museums, and public spaces in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Spain, and Japan.

Santos received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is an AIM Fellow and Queer|Art Mentor. He has been knighted by the Imperial Court of New York for his art activism and currently teaches at the School of Visual Arts.

He lives and works in Brooklyn, on Lenape land, with his husband and their rescue dog, Timmy.

For more art/work, please visit nelsonsantosart.com