Artist Statement
As an artist, I approach my work with a sense of raw, primal energy. I see myself as a butcher, hacking away at the canvas with a cleaver, trying to extract the truth from the material. My process is driven by intuition and association, as I let my instinctive actions guide me in the creation of each piece.
In my work, I enjoy combining traditional painting techniques with digital art to create a unique and dynamic visual experience. By layering paint and pixels, I am able to create pieces that are both highly expressive and technologically sophisticated. I find that this hybrid approach allows me to express myself in new and unexpected ways, and to create work that is both timeless and contemporary.
I never know exactly how a work will evolve or where it will end up. The motifs I work with are constantly shifting, moving between the abstract and the figurative, as I build and destroy, trying to find the right balance.
Whether I am working on an artwork, I am always looking for ways to push the boundaries of my artistic practice and to challenge myself as an artist.
Curriculum vitae
1978 born as Sebastian Onufszak in Wroclaw, Poland
1998 – 2002 University of Applied Sciences, Augsburg Faculty of Design
2002 diploma thesis (with Prof. Robert Rose and Peter Lochmüller)
Ian Zak lives and works in Augsburg, Germany.
Selection of exhibitions
2023
75. Große Schwäbische Kunstausstellung, Augsburg, Germany
Kunsthalle UG, Schöne Felder e.V., Augsburg, Germany
41. Große Nordschwäbische Kunstausstellung, Donauwörth, Germany
2021
"Luz! Blau, rot e capelli grassi" presented by Endy Hupperich
Galerie Lake, Oldenburg, Germany
Galerie Lake, Oldenburg, Germany
"For Free*" curated by Daniel Man
Galerie Andreas Binder, München, Germany
Galerie Andreas Binder, München, Germany
Galerie Conté, Augsburg, Germany
2019
71. Große Schwäbische Kunstausstellung, Augsburg, Germany
Die Spur der Hand. Analoge und digitale Pfade ins Plakat.
Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für moderne Kunst, Cottbus, Germany
Brandenburgisches Landesmuseum für moderne Kunst, Cottbus, Germany
Freiheit. Grenzenlos frei?
Stadt Augsburg in Kooperation mit Galerie Noah, Augsburg, Germany
Stadt Augsburg in Kooperation mit Galerie Noah, Augsburg, Germany
2018
Zimowy Las Sztuk, Opole, Poland
2016
Grafik16, Zürich, Switzerland
2014
Savage, Espace Art By Friends, Annecy, France
2012
The Black Box Project, Moscow, Russia
The Black Box Project, Milano, Italy
Orangerie, Augsburg, Germany
2011
The Black Box Project, Hamburg, Germany
2010
VA300, Neue Galerie im Höhmannhaus, Augsburg, Germany
Mily Kadz, Paris, France
2009
Twenty120, New York, USA
2007
Superkronik, Leipzig, Germany
Reflect, Düsseldorf, Germany