We were lucky to catch up with Zachary Weber recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zachary, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

My first financial breakthrough with my work began two months out of undergraduate school. I showed my work at a friend’s home/studio and was immediately connected with a gallery. Since then, I have built and relied on my professional career through the relationships I have with others in and outside of the industry. What is vital is the connections with others and simultaneously maintaining a consistency in the studio. Balance has been integral towards my success.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an artist living and working in Chicago, IL. My background is within the mediums of ceramics and photography, through a pottery class I took in high school. My artwork is simply an extension of who I believe I am. The work ranges from traditional styled vases to completely abstracted forms. I am most proud of my ability to continue to question my product(s). I believe a strong level of curiosity and belief is required to create anything deemed successful. My work is simply a mechanism for further communication. In other words, what I create I intend to have others contextualize it in their own words. It is a way for me to stay connected with others, while at the same time offering another perspective into how they might think of themselves. I think fundamentally, art is an invitation into looking deeper into ourselves. It is a mirror into how we know are selves and how we can envision a future. I think it is important to make art as democratic as possible. Meaning, servicing my expressions through as many different mediums as I am skilled. Ceramics and photography are simply trampolines in a much larger playground. I think that is the case with everyone; we all have our “skillsets” but we are all skilled. I have recently taken up the idea of painting. Painting allows me an opportunity to experiment with materials that have a different cultural conscious from that of photography and ceramics. I am interested in how we know what we know, often through cultural contexts, and then questioning how I can challenge or tinker with that perception. For example, in the paintings I am using high quality oil pastel next to spray paint, on drop cloth, held on industrial lumber. I am interested in every aspect of cultural signification. This signification, I believe, comes to us through materiality. But for me, at the same time, those material choices simply represent a “different” way of approaching painting. I guess I am interested in ” “. I am starting a product line that will more easily allow me to offer my artwork at a lower price point. I turned my apartment into an art gallery/creative space that I had the good fortune to work with fellow creatives, bringing people from all walks of life together. I am looking forward to becoming more knowledgeable in fashion and creating my own fashion line.

I think at the root of all of my practices, I am invested in continued expression.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I think this question can also be apart of the ‘resilience’ drop down question… I have had an industry friend for over a year–some could say one of the most influential people in the local art scene. My relationship with her was mostly kept on the tennis court, although she did purchase some of my work and related merchandise. It was a cordial and relatively professional relationship, but I had a suspicion there was something more involved. It was difficult to talk on the subject because of our own perceived limitations, but I knew I wanted something more out of what we were engaged in. I realized for myself, her involvement in my life in a deeper level could significantly change the course of where I see myself. (I am now using present-tense because at the time of writing, there still lies an ambiguity).

One day we coordinated tennis plans and I met her on the court. Around half-way through of play I made the decision to tell her I needed help with my carrier. It backfired. I followed up with an email as an attempt to smooth the fallout, but I was knocked on my back completely. I took a type of risk I could not otherwise see me making because I felt I had built the courage to say what I needed to in the moment given an awareness of how my life led up to that. In other words, It simply felt right. I feel content and relieved now as of writing, that I can trust my abilities and talents above however she (or anyone) could have been involved in furthering my career. I decided to trust myself. The truth is, I firmly believe we need help accomplishing our dreams, but it is as important to go with those who see them too.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I think I mentioned it before, but I believe in democracy. The realization that anyone can have a valuable artistic experience (not even with art) is a type of perception I intend to share with as many people. Whether a beautiful scratch on the side of a truck or a flower swaying in the wind, I believe these aesthetic experiences are vital towards understanding who we are. I think it is sacrilege to limit or deny them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zweberart.com
• Instagram: mudandfire

Image Credits

myself