Discover the contemporary work of Zou
Hello! I'm Zou, and I'm going to tell you a little about my life because it's truly the essence of my art.
My first love is acrylic painting; I also paint on fabric.
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia six years ago (under treatment), but I've been in psychiatric care for 16 years (I was eight years old). For childhood abuse, imagine the worst; you'll be close to reality.
That's why painting is a key element, essential for keeping my brain focused, in the light and not in the dark. Without painting, I would have died a long time ago. It keeps me alive. Not a day goes by without me creating: mini comics, large comics, paintings, and about our business with my brother (designer) and me (illustrator) on Instagram @mindz_shopz. For now, we haven't published much (my brother follows economic lines that, as an artist, I don't understand...), but the website link is in the bio!
Although in November, I jumped from a 16m high viaduct, landing on the asphalt. What followed was a coma, resuscitation, multiple operations, and a lot of rehabilitation to relearn how to walk and especially redrawing (I spent 3 months bedridden without being able to move a single toe and probed everywhere). This leap into the void will have cost me almost 6 months of my life. I'm writing to you from my hospital room, which I'm leaving for good in two weeks!!!
I don't want to keep my paintings from my previous life. So, by purchasing them, beyond their monetary value, you will be doing me a great service.
Now I have a huge amount of projects to accomplish. I believe in myself and in life to create the most unusual paintings for you! Which requires careful thought. Understanding!
Thank you so much for reading!
ZoU
Given my schizophrenia, I'm a sponge: a light, an auditory hallucination, a color. Moreover, since I was little, I've had an extremely creative mind; I always have images in my head. So I always carry a notebook with me to extract my thoughts, sketches, poems...
Then I choose my medium (cardboard because I can't afford canvases). And I imagine the future drawing and sketch it very lightly with a pencil. paper.
After that, I choose the colorimeter and the necessary utensils.
I can finally start painting. Here, there are two options: either the painting goes smoothly (satisfying but annoying). Or the size of the canvas changes completely because I see a piece of paper lying around, a sewing thread, a shoe strap, a beer can. And the painting changes completely. So I put myself in a trance to solve this puzzle, and it's annoying but invigorating (because of this, it took me 6 months to make FACES).
And that's it for my creative process: everything comes from my environment and my head.
