Ernest ‘Zach’ Zacharevic is an artist that beautifies urban landscapes with their art. Conveys the culture and community of a place, adding artistic interventions in different cities around the world.
The Lithuanian artist combines techniques of works of art with a passion for public space, working in paint means oil, stencil, spray, and sculpture to communicate intelligent and complex concepts. using facades of buildings, facades and weathered walls as an artistic area, by creating interactions, specific site between his works and his localization with ideas that arise in spontaneous response to the environment.
DG: what are the initial stages involved in creating a composition? from where do you draw inspiration?
Ernest Zacharevic: most of my painting is quite spontaneous, there is no linear approach to the planning. I suppose it all starts with an idea and then it is a process of finding time, subject, location etc. I try to make sure I spend time doing things besides painting, like traveling, photography, reading, music…anything that provides inspiration, content, and ideas I can explore in my paintings.
DG: can you talk about some of the themes or concepts that you are looking to express?
Ernest Zacharevic: ever since I remember, I’ve been fascinated by animation; not just cartoons, but the ‘medium’, its ability to bend reality and bring images to life. I find myself exploring a lot of these concepts in my own paintings. I see my work more like a simple moment capturing everyday life rather than an elaborate narrative. this seems to work best with the subject of childhood nostalgia, a subject which features often in my work.
DG: your outdoor works often engage with the urban landscape. how important is the specific environment and culture in the conception of each mural?
Ernest Zacharevic: that’s the fascinating part about working outdoors. every landscape has its character, culture, and its own stories. I often won’t come up with an idea of what to paint until I have had time to see the space and experience the immediate surroundings.
DG: what are the most challenging aspects of realizing your work?
Ernest Zacharevic: self-motivation and discipline. being free of the restrictions of a workplace and monitored tasks can be very liberating but it is not without its challenges. getting yourself out there, and making things happen, requires a lot of preparation. each time I develop a new idea it comes with a whole bunch of ‘how’s’ to figure out. the only thing keeping you going is believing that it’s gonna be worth your while.
DG: what are the most significant differences between working in the public realm versus in a studio?
Ernest Zacharevic: despite the spontaneous approach to an idea, more planning actually goes into the street pieces, whereas the studio tends to be more loose and organic. on the street, I have to spend time considering the wall, plan numerous visits thinking about what could belong there and how it is going to engage with its surroundings. I prepare in the studio for the walls as much as possible to limit the amount of time I then spend painting outside.
DG: do you have a particular piece that is your favorite, or one that stands out to you?
Ernest Zacharevic: they are all my favorites at the time I am producing them, but it never lasts. if I started getting attached, I’d never want to let any of it go…or worse, would never consider it finished!
DG: what are you currently fascinated by and how is it feeding into your work?
Ernest Zacharevic:everything and anything — my life and my art cannot be separated, everything I engage in somehow affects or inspires what I am doing creatively.
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