We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zor Zor Zor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Zor, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I took a risk in following my heart (without sounding too cheesy). When I was 20 years old, I decided to stop going to school and began to travel with whatever little money I had saved up. I fell in love with walking the streets of the world, curious to see what lied behind every corner. Gritty or posh, abandoned or congested, small or big, I was eager to learn firsthand how people lived and see how we are all connected by our everyday human activity. With that, I simultaneously fell in love with the art of graffiti, leaving a piece of myself in all of these places. I would scribbled a “tag” on a wall, stick a sticker on a street pole, or wheatpaste a painting on a board up wherever I went. I wanted to be remembered and seen; saying: I WAS HERE! And here and here and here and here. Creating unsanctioned public artwork itself is a huge risk. Now 33 years old, those are still some of the romanticized “best times” of my life. I miss feeling completely free and open to the world, seemingly not afraid of anything. But I do question if that was the right choice. The right risk to take. It brought me my unconventional art career, many many meaningful connections with strangers and friends, and a worldly life story I can share through my photos and paintings, Yet my wandering spirit still does not feel ready to settle down. I am still searching, and I still want to see more.

Zor, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into my industry/craft through graffiti and street art. I was obsessed with putting my art up in the streets for anyone and everyone to come across. Through this guerilla style marketing, I gained a fan base and eventually art commissions and gallery invites. I have a unique style that can be recognized instantly and people are drawn to the deep meaning and thought I put into my artworks. I love to paint large scale murals and also make 3d masks and sculptures. I bring together shapes and designs to create figures, faces, animals and stylized characters, often working in just black and white. I touch on the feelings of love, emotions, the spirit, our paths and purpose, insecurities and strengths, and the overall meaning of life.

Since 2018, I have been running a gallery in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago (Grace Jane Studio), giving other artists the opportunity to showcase their works. This has become an extension of my own art practice, giving my all to make artists feel recognized and celebrated. I love to be a major stepping stone in others creative careers, providing a space where they can bring their ideas into reality.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

It’s both simple and not so simple, but.. value them, buy their art work (!!), and pay them for their services, big or small! Artists still face a strange battle with being taken seriously for their crafts, and being seen as legitimate or worthy to be paid for what they do. It is extremely difficult and time consuming to create original, unique artworks, and even harder to not give up on your dreams! Buy that $60 handmade mug, that $50 hand pulled T-shirt, that $500 dollar painting. When you hold it in your hands, cherish it! Its worth even more than you know.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission behind my art practice is to constantly dive deeper into who I am as a person, my perspective on life, and the emotions and feelings I go through as a woman in my shoes. My works are autobiographical, telling my story through my characters and line work. I am painting my history.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @zzzalwayz