Zoetica Ebb is a London-based Russian-American artist. She grew up in Moscow during the twilight years of the Communist regime, drawing inspiration from her family’s library of SciFi, art, and magical realism, and from then-ubiquitous UFO-centric TV shows. During her time in the US, she studied at LA County High School for the Arts and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, later returning to exhibiting in Los Angeles and exploring projects congruent with her interests in fringe art and culture. Zoetica’s years of migration have led to embracing alienation as a chosen state; her work speaks to the boundless human capacity for adaptation in the face of impossible odds.
Artist: Zoetica Ebb
Based in London, England
Instagram:
Instagram: zoetica
Culturally Arts Collective features:
"Beyond the Veil", May 29-July 30 2021, Milostka Center for Exhibitions
What do you aim to say by the themes in your art?
My work examines alienation, adaptation, fear, desire, disgust, and belonging through the eyes of a life-long immigrant. I use the continuous repetition of stippling technique as meditation, a processing tool, and an incantation.
Where does your inspiration come from?
I grew up in Moscow during the last gasps of the Communist regime, drawing inspiration from my family’s library of SciFi, art, and magical realism, and a steady stream of then-ubiquitous UFO-centric TV shows. I lived a world of my own, drawing and reading instead of making friends I’d soon have to leave behind. Since then, I've lived in dozens of cities across several continents. As the fictional naturalist in my Alien Botany art series, I gather experiences and materials in unfamiliar places; years of migration have led to embracing alienation as a valuable chosen state.
Do you have experiences that impacted your art?
All of them, inevitably.
Do you feel your art challenges existing barriers?
I'm not sure. My technique is somewhat traditional, although people sometimes feel challenged by my themes. At a time when technology's advance is making art more and more ephemeral, could working slowly on physical objects be considered radical? Perhaps not yet, but artists like me might have a head start?
What are your long-term artistic goals?
Nothing I'd like to reveal at the moment, although in the short term I'm looking forward to my upcoming solo exhibition here in London this autumn.
What advice do you have for aspiring artists?
Get a dayjob you like, one that allows you enough emotional and physical energy to dedicate to your art; not depending on your art for a living is the clearest path away from compromising your vision.
