Zaria Forman
Artist Activist, Brooklyn
At a young age, Zaria began travelling with her family, and these trips opened her eyes and imagination. In her art, Zaria explores the possibilities of waves and water, from the ice of Greenland to the sandy beaches of the Maldives. She uses pastels to represent landscapes she especially loves. Yet her art isn’t only about the grandeur of the nature—it also conveys the dangers of global warming. A strange relationship between beauty and awareness occurs in each of her works.
Your idea of happiness?
Experiencing the beauty of nature, sunshine on my skin, eating delicious food and sharing all of that with wonderful friends and family.
Your idea of misery?
Never experiencing any of the above.
If not yourself, who would you be?
A fully enlightened being, so I could be free from suffering.
Your heroes?
Gandhi
Bedside table books?
The last journal my mother wrote before she passed away.
What do you do if you can’t sleep at night?
I recall the details of my day in reverse, starting with crawling into bed, and moving backwards. I rarely make it to lunch time before I've fallen asleep.
Do you collect?
I do my best to keep my possessions to a minimum. I have a small art collection, but other than that, buying clothes is my weakness.
What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?
When I was about three, I thought that movies were made from real-life scenarios, and that filmmakers were all around, filming people randomly as they went about their lives. Whenever I thought of this, I tried to look my best and acted over-dramatically, just in case I was being filmed.
A color?
Hot pink.
A city?
San Francisco.
What are your plans for this weekend?
Drawing drawing drawing. Going to the beach, and visiting Todd Murphy's art studio.
A song?
"Bring it on Home to me" by Sam Cooke.
Right or left handed?
Right
What is the best dish you can cook?
Kale salad, and strawberry rhubarb pie.
What is your middle name?
Lynn
What do you do in your free time?
Unfortunately I don't have much these days, but I like to see my friends and family when I do! I get lonely in the studio working by myself all day.