About the Artist

Zachary Le (b. 1995) is an American oil painter currently based out of Brooklyn, NY. 
Having been raised by a father who immigrated to the US from Vietnam and a mother whose family immigrated to the US from Mexico, Zach and his three younger brothers were brought up in a household that values and celebrates diversity, exploration, and the human experience. 
Zach’s endeavors have seen to it that he pursue a meaningful life, no matter where he is or what he is doing: after earning his BA at Pepperdine University, Zach moved to London, England to play semi-professional soccer (football); he later lived in Florence, Italy and worked on an ambulance for Misericordia di Firenze as an EMT; he joined the Ventura County Fire Department where he fought wildfires throughout the state of California; and earned his place as a Firefighter for the City of Oxnard Fire Department, where he eventually contracted COVID-19 which resulted in significant and ongoing cardiac complications.  
Through the culmination of his unique and abundant life experiences, Zach has been afforded a greater perspective on the world around him and his place in it. As a result, Zach is left with an undeniable sense of urgency and gratitude within his practice.
For a more in depth look into the artist, we invite you to spend some time in Zach’s portfolio, check out his artist statement, or get in touch with him personally.

About the Work

Zachary Le is a representational artist whose work highlights the importance and value of active and intimate observation. The artist believes that true art, born of necessity, ought to take the form of translation — rather than creation.

With a background in the fire service, where rigorous training functions as the backbone of consistent and effective emergency response, Zach continues to carry an unparalleled level of intentionality into his studio practice.

Since January of 2022, Zach has dealt with significant cardiac complications as a result of COVID-19. During a time where death has lingered and lurked like a shadow, painting has served a great utility:   amidst darkness, the artist has sought light and life through paint.

Through his constant search for peace and substance within circumstance, Zach has discovered that without our uniquely human ability to rationalize and acknowledge mortality, life may simply lack meaning.

As the artist translates a fragmented reality in paint, he further explores the notion that it is our humanity which ultimately grants us purpose; and similarly, it is our humanity that commonly binds us together, in community. 

The extraordinary nature of life’s unfolding has afforded the artist the unique ability to embrace mortality in confident, celebratory exploration — resulting in the addition of true and needed art in a commonly human world.