This past Friday Chappell and I got the opportunity to check out a local artist and their work in Hampden at the Zo Gallery. Zachary Diaz is an MFA candidate at Towson University and is currently exploring abstract oil painting and processes in combination with themes like human connection and cloud gazing.
His artwork uses bold expressions of color – ranging from swirling lines to weighty blocks – to create large abstract paintings that remind the viewer of atmospheres, clouds, and landscapes. At the show, Zachary talked to us how his experiences as a kid, gazing in the clouds, inspired this work. He enjoys the play of seeing things that may or may not be there, and the way the painting can continually reveal images and forms to everyone, including the artist. He often does not have a plan for what he wants the painting to look like, but rather embraces the spontaneity of intuition. He also explained that the music he listens to in his studio during painting sessions has a large impact on the feeling and emotional tone of the work. For me, the beauty of his work is not only the scale, the color, and the movement, which is obviously stunning, but the way it invites the viewer to gaze into itself and discover something new.
As an artist, seeing this exhibition was personally empowering and encouraging to see my peer sharing their work. There is a thriving Baltimore art community here and it inspires me to share and show more of my own work. I’m grateful I had a chance to see the show and meet Zachary, and I’m looking forward to seeing his future work! To see more of his work, follow him on IG @zadiaz_com
MONICA HEISER 