In her vividly colorful and structured geometric compositions, Georgia-based artist Helen Ziga strives to give visual form to thought.
Artist: Born and raised in Warrington, PA, a Philadelphia suburb, Ziga graduated with a BA in art from Albright College (PA) and earned an MFA in Art from Ohio University.
Ziga said she had an incredible formal education in the arts. As an undergraduate, she had the opportunity to work at the Freedman Gallery, where she first saw what it truly meant to be an artist.
“I helped install exhibitions and met artists such as Alison Saar, Suzanne Bocanegra, Ida Applebroog and the sister of Ana Mendieta,” she said.
Outside of school, Ziga was hired for a couple of weeks in the mid-1990s to work on one of Jeff Koons’ seminal “Balloon Dogs.”
“Experiencing how a large studio operated was eye-opening,” said Ziga.
In graduate school, she spent time with visiting artists Charles Ray (sculptor) and Jessica Stockholder (site-specific installations and floor and wall pieces).
Ziga also had the opportunity to study with Guy Goodwin and Duane McDiarmid, artists who continue to influence her practice to this day.
After college, Ziga worked in marketing as a graphic design and content creator for regional, national and multi-national companies as well as non-profits.
She also taught art and graphic design at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Quinlan Visual Arts Center, North Georgia College (now UNG) and Atlanta College of Art (now SCAD).
Studio: Helen Ziga Studio is located in the Atlanta Street Art Collective, Roswell. The artist also works out of her home studio in Marietta.
Art & materials: Multi-media wall art that includes layered sculpture, painting, collage and fiber art ($350 to $4,000).
Primary materials include acrylic, paper, wood, thread and adhesive on wood panel, canvas and paper. Other materials include papier mache, beads, pencil, ink and found materials.
Her process, said Ziga, emphasizes stillness, presence and quiet exploration – balancing tension and harmony through layered materials, color and shape.
Must-have tools:
Flat paint brushes in a variety of sizes, clear acrylic sewing ruler, pencils, scissors, needles, bowls, hand drill and staple gun. Also really good non-toxic adhesives.
Influences:
- American modernism and geometric abstraction.
- Clean shapes and structured compositions.
- Artists Josef Albers, Frank Stella, Piet Mondrian and Agnes Martin for the geometry of form and use of flat areas of saturated color, as well as the diligent crafting of their artworks.
- Also Eva Hesse and Louis Nevelson for their materials and sculptural thinking. Hesse also influenced Ziga about process.
Special commission: A customer visited her former studio,and liked three one-half-inch round embroidered works on paper. She wanted a fourth to hang in a group.
“I enjoyed creating a composition to coordinate with the three that she selected,” said Ziga.
Current project: Preparing for a two-person exhibition at Gallery Chimera in Atlanta. April 10-May 2.
Current exhibition: Part of rotating art gallery, curated by Aletian Creative, is on the ground floor of the Hamilton Hotel. Alpharetta, GA.
What’s next: Exhibitions:
- Abernathy Arts Center, Atlanta. Through March 13.
- Muse & Co. Fine Art, Marietta Square. Monthly group exhibitions. First Friday Art Walk. Next: Feb. 6.
Where to buy:
- IDEA Gallery At gallery, Atlanta.
- Muse & Co Fine Art. At the gallery and online, Atlanta.
- Gallery Chimera. At the gallery and online. Atlanta.
- Aletian Creative: Instagram: @aletian_creative. At the Hamilton Hotel, Alpharetta, GA.
Connect:
- Website: helenzigastudio.com
- Instagram: @helenzigastudio
- Facebook: @helenzigastudio
- Threads: @helenzigastudio
