Sarah Zimmerman, affectionately known as saz, takes a playful and inquisitive approach to painting the environment around. Her whimsical interpretations of her surroundings are reflected in the subject matter she chooses and the mediums with which she works. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, she moved to Terrace, BC in 2000, and never left. With a BA in English and Anthropology from the University of Alberta, Sarah’s artistic practice is rooted in the intersection of art and its exploration of place, culture, language and people.
As a settler living on unceded Ts’msyen territory, Sarah’s artistic inquiry has long been inspired by the land and its people. Sarah likes to dig into big projects that reflect layers of inquiry about sense of place and that push her artistic practice to seek new mediums and approaches to art.
Previous exhibits include her 2022-2023 body of work, foraged – an exploration of place reflected not only in the subject matter of the works – big representations of small things - but in the mediums with which they are also created. This exhibit featured paintings with pops of textiles coloured using dyes made from foraged plants all found or sourced in the Terrace area.
These pieces represent Sarah’s early exploration of wildcrafting colours derived from natural sources in the Skeena region. Incorporated into Sarah’s recognizable acrylic paintings, the small, circular textiles represent the impermanence of nature, the circle of life and are symbols of how we can become more connected to the environment in which we live.
Sarah's exploration of larger themes and new techniques and mediums was represented in her 2017-2022 body of work called the fish project. It was an exploration of the importance of salmon and oolichan to the people of northwestern British Columbia. the fish project was a celebration of the intersection of culture, place, ecosystems and the people that call the northwest coast their home.
Sarah continues to explore her art practice through the lens of place and nature's impact on humans, as much as our impact on nature.
Commissions are always available - contact Sarah for details.
To see more of Sarah’s work, or to connect: Instagram: @sazartstudio Facebook: @SAZ art studio Email:sazartstudio@gmail.com Phone: 250-631-6007 (international calling 001-250-631-6007)