I’ve been pretty excited about this post for a while. There’s something refreshingly honest about the way Zach presents his work. The world needs more people like him.

Where are you from?
Denton, Texas but I lived in Norman for 7 consecutive, definitely “formative” years, as well as Tarrytown, the Bronx, and Manhattan in New York, and Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China.

What do you do?
Primarily, I consider myself a printmaker and collage artist but I love to play with clay, and I flirt with street art every once and awhile. Starting in September, I will be an elementary and middle school art teacher in Shanghai (foreign kids from international schools, my spoken Chinese is okay for travel and shopping, but definitely not close to fluency).

Who or what do you use for inspiration?
I’m a news junkie who grew up on skateboarding; so mostly angst, but I like seeing what my friends are working on, old comics and cartoons, masks, traveling, Harlem Renaissance literature, Adinkra symbols, Pre-Columbian art, Google image search, and so on.

What artists do you respect right now?
I like people who are producing work with positive messages, but aren’t too didactic. Also, really into this resurgence of popularity of using printmaking for different projects and applications.

What are you sick of?
Allergies, questions about my hair/ethnicity, and the influx of police in Norman.

What music are you listening to recently?
Mostly hip hop, but I listen to a lot of Oklahoman bands, especially when I’m away, and have been really into the Workweek and the Nghiems. Also, I’m working on a shirt design for the Workweek, so it’s been on repeat a lot.

What is your first creative memory?
I stayed with my grandparents a lot during my childhood, and my grandmother was a landscape painter. She would give me colored pencils, watercolors and crayons since I was four years old, and I would go to town on some loose leaf paper.

What is your favorite food/drank spot in Norman?
Viva Pepe’s!

Anything else?
I intend to host/curate some mail art shows while I’m in Shanghai, and want all those interested to contact me. Thanks!

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