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STATEMENT AND CV

Lena Zak, born in 1994, is a visual artist working primarily in painting, whose practice also extends to the exploration of sculptural objects, installation, and their intersection with painting. Her work delves into the conflicts, contradictions, and dualities of the world, often shaped by political and social issues, and examines their impact on the experience of the individual.

 

Zak grew up in a traditional Catholic society influenced by post-Soviet dynamics in Central Europe. As part of the first generation born into democracy after the fall of a totalitarian regime, she was raised in a profoundly polarized social environment, heavily affected by generational trauma and ongoing tensions between Western and Eastern ideologies, as well as between modern and traditional perspectives on life and women’s roles. These experiences shaped her interest in duality and inspired her to explore themes of conflicting forces, resilience, strength, and empowerment in her artwork. Zak draws inspiration from the absolute force and power of darkness, light, and fire, using them as metaphors for the resilience that lies at the core of existence. Exploring abstraction with a minimalist yet expressive sensibility, Zak’s work is imbued with rich symbolism.

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Lena Zak's artwork has been exhibited across European capitals, including Berlin, London, Lisbon, Athens, Bratislava as well as in New York, United States. Her paintings are part of private collections mainly in the United States, Prague, Bratislava and Paris. She has completed an art residency programs in Lisbon and a long-term art residency in Berlin. Zak currently lives and works between Czech Republic and Berlin, Germany.

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“Through a fusion of unconscious instinct and intuitive creativity, Lena Zak paints her own experience as a woman, and how to reclaim and control her inner power and strength. The act of painting itself then becomes a third space, where the artist can perform and flow freely, from her inner depths to outer manifestations. Creating a captivating dialogue between form and formlessness, presence and absence, the artist’s process is ultimately about setting the soul free. In this fictional space where darkness gives way to light, and where strength is found in vulnerability, the artist can express herself without boundaries, leading her to surpass her shadow self.”

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Louise des Places, curator, LCG lab Berlin

 

“Whispers of Mary Weatherford's spirit echo in Lena's recent works, as she pares abstraction down to its purest essence. But unlike traditional minimalism's starkness, hers embraces a different philosophy. Here, each reduction amplifies her intent, and every subtraction strategically unveils hidden depths.”

 

Anthony Mills, gallerist, Sauvage Gallery France

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Selected exhibitions & showcases

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Residencies​

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