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Almine Rech

Zio Ziegler

Zio Ziegler paints from a meditative state, drawing from his subconscious a personal interpretation of the world around him. 

American artist Zio Ziegler (b. 1988, United States) is known for his paintings, large-scale murals, and sculptures. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Brown University, receiving his BFA from RISD in 2010. For Ziegler, painting is an act of self-exploration and a radical expression of vulnerability. “Painting is my attempt at self-understanding — rather than finding a concept and executing it in a linear fashion, I react to my questions, life, and awareness,” he claims.

The focus of Ziegler’s practice aims to illuminate the process of creating instead of isolating the final result. His images of monumental figures set in motion serve as a portal of sorts for the viewer, inviting them to perceive the work in their own way, and in turn, creating an active exchange between the artist and the audience.

Using primarily oil-stick, Ziegler works with textures that fuse the raw oil pigment with external materials such as sand, soil, and pumice. His sources of inspiration, though ever-changing, include early 20th-century abstraction, Italian Futurism,  and Cubism, and call to mind the likes of Francis Bacon, Kazimir Malevich, and Constantin Brancusi. His images of monumental figures set in motion serve as a portal of sorts for the viewer, inviting them to perceive the work in their own way and, in turn, creating an active exchange between the artist and the audience.

Recent solo exhibitions include The Fourth Wall at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (2018) and Et in Arte Ego at Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy (2014). Ziegler has been commissioned by the United Nations for a 70th-anniversary commemorative mural in Oakland, California, US, and has been teaching at Stanford University since 2019.

Selected artworks

  • Zio Ziegler, The right way to go, 2022

    Zio Ziegler The right way to go, 2022

    Oil and pumice on canvas
    213.4 x 152.4 x 4.4 cm
    84 x 60 x 1 3/4 in

  • Zio Ziegler, Two figures in motion, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Two figures in motion, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    213.4 x 304.8 x 5.1 cm
    84 x 120 x 2 in

  • Zio Ziegler, Where the self is established, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Where the self is established, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    243.8 x 162.6 x 5.1 cm
    96 x 64 x 2 in

  • Zio Ziegler, Essential Nature, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Essential Nature, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    203.2 x 127 x 5.1 cm
    80 x 50 x 2 in

  • Zio Ziegler, The Shifting Illusion, 2023

    Zio Ziegler The Shifting Illusion, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    203.2 x 127 cm
    80 x 50 in

  • Zio Ziegler, Assiyah Materialized Universe, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Assiyah Materialized Universe, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    197.5 x 132.1 x 5.1 cm
    77 3/4 x 52 x 2 in

  • Zio Ziegler, Center Of Gravity, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Center Of Gravity, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    182.9 x 182.9 x 5.7 cm
    72 x 72 x 2 1/4 in 

  • Zio Ziegler, Upper dantian, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Upper dantian, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    100.7 x 66 x 5.1 cm
    39 5/8 x 26 x 2 in

  • Zio Ziegler, Lower dantian, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Lower dantian, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    99.7 x 66 x 5.1 cm
    39 1/4 x 26 x 2 in

  • Zio Ziegler, Figure: Output: GPT, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Figure: Output: GPT, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    182.6 x 121.9 x 5.1 cm
    71 7/8 x 48 x 2 in 

  • Zio Ziegler, Yetzirah (Symbol), 2023

    Zio Ziegler Yetzirah (Symbol), 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    198.1 x 137.2 x 5.1 cm
    78 x 54 x 2 in

  • Zio Ziegler, Ahamkara Individuation, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Ahamkara Individuation, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    200 x 130.2 x 5.1 cm
    78 3/4 x 51 1/4 x 2 in 

  • Zio Ziegler, Mahat Cosmic Intelligence, 2023

    Zio Ziegler Mahat Cosmic Intelligence, 2023

    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    198.1 x 132.1 x 5.1 cm
    78 x 52 x 2 in 

Gallery exhibitions

Museum exhibitions

Selected press

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