Zia Maskara

Meet the Artist

I create to connect. My greatest achievement would be to create connections for my viewer. To me, art is a language that transcends through time and cultures. I hope that my pieces stimulate conversations and that the abstract scenes they see before them evoke wonder and wanting for more. The varied markings and brush strokes offer an opportunity to linger, to stare, to make interpretations, and then, to discuss, creating connections.

I draw inspiration for my art from everyday experiences and moments. From the ever changing blues and greys of Lake Michigan to the reds and yellows of Indian spices, I fill my palette with shades from the world around me. The patterns and markings on my paintings are inspired anywhere from my stack of vintage Indian wedding saris, to the French laces of my grandmother. I use a variety of mediums and a combination of broad strokes and small throughout mark-making to create the entire painting. My pallett is continuously evolving as I like to take risks with colors and always find something unexpected. Never knowing where the piece will finally take me, I let the process organically lead the way, like building a story, bit by bit, layer by layer.

Painting has always been a con...

I am a self taught artist, who loves to play and experiment.