IG: @zelart.png

zacharyliljeholm.com

Natural Affinity

Natural Affinity is an exhibition and live music performance taking place at SPACE Gallery on April 8th, 6:30-9pm. This show explores the impact of empathy on environmental conservation, advocating for a more intimate relationship to nature as resistance to the emotional weight of the climate crisis. The open call exhibition features work from Michelle Bechtel, Evelyn Eirinn, Miryam Keller, Calvin Kestner, Alyssa Letendre, Abbey Mills, Nick Myers, Caitlin Perrigo, Wills Phillips, and Isaac Stern, curated around the theme of “Empathy with Nature.” These artworks are accompanied by a music performance by DJ Ben Spalding.

The goal of this body of work is to move the audience's relationship to environmental activism from one of guilt and obligation, to one of protective passion. I challenge the audience to investigate their preconceived understanding of the natural world, and the multitude of the ways they communicate and interact with the environments they inhabit in their everyday life.

Bio

My name is Zach Liljeholm, I am a Graphic Designer with 4 years of experience living in Portland, ME. I have taken many shifts surrounding my design practice, finding a passion for animation, and how design and animation can make an audience connect with each one another. I enjoy keeping my work fun, playful, and personal for both me and the viewer. I am graduating from Maine College of Art & Design this year, and am excited to pursue a larger Graphic Design career. In recent years I have provided identity design, print design, and animation services to brands such as Arm & Hammer, Pet Life Unlimited, and United Way. My work has also won recognition in the MADE Broderson Awards 2023. Outside of the organized chaos of my studio, I enjoy spending time outdoors with a comic book in one hand and a cold brew in the other.