Brittny Gastineau Visits ZES’ Los Angeles Art Show with Kim Kardashian

Living in Los Angeles as an art curator/broker, LA Frieze is always a highly-anticipated event. This year, I started off with LA-based contemporary artist ZES.

ZES is a self-taught artist that lives and works in Los Angeles. Coming off his last solo show “Beneath The Surface” in 2019 at Kaikai KiKi Gallery in Tokyo. The show was curated by Takashi Murakami. The LA-based artist’s practice embodies an ongoing journey of translating the expansiveness of urbanity and tensions of personal discovery to the intimate boundaries of the canvas.

ZES’ 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. 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 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

During this week of Frieze Los Angeles, ZES showcased six new bodies of work at Over The Influence Gallery in the heart of LA’s art district. Coming off his last solo show with Takashi Murakami, collectors and artists and long time friends of mine were all excited to see what new style ZES was going to come up with. To say the least, the show was a massive success.