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STATEMENT

Lena Zak (b. 1994) is a visual artist working primarily in painting, sculptural objects, and installation. Her practice is rooted in artistic research at the intersection of philosophy and psychology, focusing on the dual forces that shape human experience. Exploring themes of duality, conflict, self concept, and transformation, Zak investigates the tension between external structures (societal norms, technological influence, inherited beliefs) and the inner self.


Her work draws from philosophical traditions that consider light as knowledge, energy, and power, as well as psychological theories on perception, the unconscious, and self-construction. By working with light and its absence (darkness) as both subject and medium she materializes the interplay between presence and absence, creation and entropy. The use of fire in her process mirrors resilience and metamorphosis, reinforcing the idea that destruction is an inherent part of renewal.

Zak’s paintings function as an abstract visual language, composed of repetitive, calligraphic gestures that accumulate into a cryptic system of marks. This unknown script recalls both ancient and futuristic codes, evoking the subconscious process of meaning-making. Works in objects / installation extend these ideas into a spatial experiences, questioning the nature of selfhood in the digital age and the psychological impact of contemporary structures of control. Zak’s work embodies an inquiry into how we perceive, construct, and negotiate self-concept in an era of information overload and societal expectation.​​

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Lena Zak's artwork has been exhibited across European capitals, including Berlin, London, Lisbon, Athens, Bratislava as well as in New York, United States. Her paintings are part of private collections mainly in Prague, Bratislava and the United States. She has completed an art residency programs in Lisbon and a long-term art residency in Berlin. Zak currently lives and works between the Czech Republic and Berlin, Germany.

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