Bio

Aneesa Shami Zizzo is an artist and arts-based researcher in Los Angeles using upcycled materials to create fiber art. Her work references the sublime and world mythologies to evoke a sense of the collective unconscious within her imagery. Zizzo holds Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in both Fiber and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute. She was recently awarded an artist residency at the Arab American National Museum for May 2024, and was a Fellow for the Mildred’s Lane Attention Labs: Order of the Third Bird in 2015. Zizzo’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries and museums, including the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum in Long Beach, CA, the Craft in America Center in Los Angeles, CA, the Barbican Centre in London, UK, the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, NY, among others. She is also the co-owner and director of Studio 203, an artist-run space in Los Angeles promoting fiber art, craft-based work and social practices.

Artist Statement

I create soft sculptures, appliqued tapestries, collages, and weavings that explore my own identity as a second-generation Arab-American, as well as world mythologies and the sublime. I come from a long line of master craftsmen and quiltmakers, which has influenced my drive to work with textiles. My primary mediums are upcycled materials such as textile industry waste, which allows me to breathe new life into otherwise disregarded resources and craft traditions. 

Making while meditating is an important part of my practice; I embed my subconscious thought process into each piece while methodically hand stitching or knotting. I use abstraction as a way to addresses feelings of ruination, recovery and hope. Through these repetitive processes and abstract imagery I tap into ancient traditions of storytelling innate in preserving and creating history – both personal and societal.

Contact

Email me at studio(at)aneesashami.com

Studio 203 LLC ATTN Aneesa Zizzo
6820 La Tijera Blvd
STE 201
Los Angeles, CA 90045