Zes

Zes Biography

“Zes” is a self-taught artist that lives and works in Los Angeles. Recent solo exhibitions have included “Beneath The Surface” in 2019 at Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo, curated by Takashi Murakami. His practice embodies an ongoing journey of translating the expansiveness of urbanity and tensions of personal discovery to the intimate boundaries of the canvas. in ethnographically-diverse Mid City, Los Angeles, his childhood was more defined by cultural integration and neighborly embrace than is generally perceived of Los Angeles in the 80s and 90s, an era defined by intra-community racism and violence. The Mid City-backdrop imbued Zes with discerning open-mindedness that cultivates his evolving practice; simultaneously, a chaotic trajectory of life events has served to reorient his goals and shift his sense of responsibility. Zes consistently reconsiders his practice of mark-making (known widely as “Zes” in the graffiti community for ambitious mark-making in extreme locations) as a means for deconstructing his own human experience, filled simultaneously with adrenaline-based thrills and action-based accountability. Zes expressionistic studio life essentially represents the difficult journey toward self-acceptance, a belief that we are not defined by actions of the past, and a universal endeavor towards balance. Zes’s work has been shown in galleries and institutional exhibitions across three continents and covered by numerous international journals.