Statement
The vastly diverse environments found in the state of North Carolina have served as a huge inspiration for me as an artist. My paintings are studies of the colors, patterns, and forms found in nature. I move back and forth between watercolor and oil paint as studies evolve into interpretations. I wish to observe our wide range of natural surroundings — the living organisms of water, land, and air across mountains, marsh, and coastlines — and create studies of them in styles both realistic and abstract.
Résumé
EDUCATION
2017 MFA Painting Academy of Art University (San Francisco)
2010 BFA Fine Art University of North Carolina (Wilmington)
AWARDS
2010 ArtBlast Juried Art Exhibit, Best in Show
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019 Fourth Friday Exhibit, Century 21 Sweyer & Associates Offices, Wilmington, NC.
2017 Wild Carolina, Flytrap Brewing, Wilmington, NC.
2016 Taxonomies, A Tasting Room, Wilmington, NC.
Tricks and Revelations, Thalian Center for Performance Arts, Wilmington, NC.
2010 America Held Hostage, Projekte Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 Foundations, Wilma W. Daniels Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
2018 Thrive Collective Showcase, Blue Surf Cafe, Wilmington, NC.
2017 Tributaries, RX Restaurant and Bar, Wilmington, NC.
2016 Window Shopping, ArtFuel Inc, Wilmington, NC.
2014 State of the Art Art of the State, Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC.
Thrive Collective Retrospective, Bottega Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
2013 Politicize, Anvil and Ink Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
2012 No Boundaries Art Colony Exhibit, ACME Art Studios, Wilmington, NC.
Black and White, Projekte Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
2011 The Anatomy Show, Wicked Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
ArtFuel Inc Art Show Volume 26, ArtFuel Inc, Wilmington, NC.
2010 ArtBlast Juried Art Exhibit, Projekte Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2015- Art Instructor, Wine and Design, Leland, NC.
2012-14 Gallery Curator and Manager, Anvil and Ink Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
2010-11 Assistant Curator, Projekte Gallery, Wilmington, NC.
Biography
Born and raised in the museum-and-gallery-filled Washington, DC area, Zak was exposed to the arts and sciences at an early age. He relocated to North Carolina and completed a Bachelors in Studio Art from the University of North Carolina in 2010. Following that, Zak worked in multiple area galleries, before moving on to earn a Masters in Painting from Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, in 2017.
Over the last decade, Zak has participated in four artist colonies, several solo exhibitions, and more than thirty group shows as a member of the Wilmington-based Thrive artist collective. He currently resides in Leland, North Carolina, where he both teaches and produces paintings and illustrations from his private studio, and shares a home with his wife and son.