Zaide (he/they) is an oil painter based in Sydney whose practice explores portraiture, Australian native florals and surrealism through richly textural works.
Working primarily with palette knives, Zaide approaches painting instinctively—wiping, smearing and removing paint with whatever tools are at hand. His work often takes the form of portraits of people who inspire him, alongside surreal interpretations of Australian native flora.
Born in Newcastle, Zaide has lived in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the U.S. before settling in Sydney. Painting has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember, but his relationship with art shifted significantly five years ago following a diagnosis of Huntington’s Disease. The experience changed his perspective on life and became a catalyst for pursuing art more seriously.
Through his practice, Zaide explores inspiration, identity and the world around him, using painting as a space for experimentation, expression and connection.
1. What are you currently working on, and what feels most exciting about it right now?
I have an exhibition opening at Saint Cloche Gallery on September 30th titled: ‘When flowers dream of machines’. I’ve been working on this body of work all year and am incredibly excited to share it through the exhibition.
2. What’s been taking up the most space in your mind lately?
The fine balance between hope and despair. All my favourite literature and art toe this line really beautifully, often through wry humour and the stark reality of the human condition. It feels particularly easy these days to fall into despair cycles, but every day is an opportunity to influence the world around you. Hardship and suffering can inspire cynicism, but don’t justify wallowing in it.
3. How many “drafts” do you usually make before the final version?
Countless. I’ll often start with several drawings then add and reduce layers upon layers of paint to the canvas, the total number of ‘draft’ paintings that lie underneath each finished product would be staggering. I do this to experiment with different compositions and palettes, it also gives the final painting a heavily worked feeling.
4. What are you currently drawn to visually, emotionally, or creatively?
I’ve always been drawn to texture, touch is an important sense to me and can calm or cause alarm. I love the way artists will create real or illusory texture through different mediums. My work has always been textural and I enjoy experimenting with different ways to create texture by mixing and applying different mediums with paint. You’ll never catch me sneakily touching art at an exhibition.
5. Where do you find inspiration? How do you know it’s a good idea worth trying?
I find it everywhere! When I’m out for a walk, observing the pattern of the footpath, while swimming and feeling the movements of the current in the ocean, looking at an artwork that I love in a gallery, reading a particularly gripping book. The challenge isn’t finding inspiration, it’s whittling down what can be used and transformed into an artwork that I resonate with. Learning to paint is a process of trial and error, I’ve done so many things that haven’t worked, the only way to find out is to try and catalogue whether or not it succeeded for next time.
6. What’s been challenging you the most lately, and how are you navigating it?
Where do I fit into the art world, is what I say important, is the work I create impactful? The doubts make it difficult to move forward with certainty. I’ve been working on trusting myself, and noticing the small signs the universe sends that lets you know you’re on the right path.
7. How much of your process is intuition vs how much of it is discipline?
I find that the planning and preparation requires a lot of discipline, and starting the work itself. Once I begin I try to act instinctively and allow intuition to take over. Sometimes I’ll share thoughts I had during the day with my partner, and she’ll ask when I had time to do all that thinking. When I’m painting I try to be in this place where I’m hardly thinking at all about what I’m doing and instinct is guiding me, it leaves a lot of space for me to process and ponder other things.
8. What’s something you’re proud of at the moment that people might not see?
I’m proud of how I’ve opened myself to receive inspiration in many moments of the day. I try to be like a big antenna that’s always observing and taking in information.
9. What are your practices/rituals to get you into a flow state?
Reading is my favourite way to enter flow state, it clears my mind of the everyday fluff and helps me enter the practice present. Cleaning is also a great way to build momentum, once that first little task is ticked off everything else comes more easily.
10. If you had an unlimited amount of money, what would you create?
I would love to have an enormous studio for artists. If the money’s unlimited make it a skyscraper, every level with high ceilings made of hardwood timber scaffolding, brick walls and brass detailing. If you’re an artist who wants studio space there’s room for you there, and it’s all completely free. I would make a huge community filled with all my favourite artists, and we’d make art there every day and be inspired by one another.
