ZLA
ZLA
“Here We Are” – an exhibition by ZLA. As the population continues to grow, space becomes more limited and even more expensive. We continue to live in tightly packed cities, living spaces stacked on top of each other in apartment buildings, living piled up on top of one another. We sit in traffic for hours, we wait in long lines, we join in on crowds for music, drinks, food, and for entertainment. Despite all that, we love it. We are city dwellers. It’s an energy that we thrive on.
ZLA uses his “every person” characters in an abstract way to help tell stories and simple truths that anyone can relate to. Through these characters, ZLA is able to convey emotions and feelings, allowing the viewer to know what the characters are thinking and doing. Oftentimes in the artwork, the characters are often utilized in the background and supporting the overall piece. In “Here We Are” we zoom into ZLA’s characters’ world and explores this idea of population, the energy of a collective group, and the awareness of others; the feelings that we feel from this urban ecosystem.
"Here we are. Here we are in this city of ours. We die yet we multiply and now we are piling up. Space feels limited, feels of clutter and tightly packed characters help to tell the story. We strive to survive but on the flip side, a city of so many can also be so lonely for some. I want to tell a simple story and capture it in paint. So, here we are." -ZLA
ZLA is a first generation American born and raised in Los Angeles. He was very influenced by the art and culture of his city and at an early age decided to dedicate his life to being a creative. He has increasingly been painting murals around LA and has also expanded out to Nevada, Arizona and Tennessee. Z currently continues to create and collaborate and will continue to work until he is called over to the other side.
“Here We Are” debuts online March 26th at Noon (PST)
View and Purchase Artwork on Artsy.net HERE
