Ella Zona: Breaking through “Surfaces”

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Gallery|5 Photos
“When I was nine months old, I drew a key on a piece of paper,” senior Ella Zona recalls of her first encounter with art. “I’ve been into it almost my whole life.” As Zona has grown up, her artistic style has blossomed alongside her.

Emma Watson, Reporter, Photographer
November 1, 2018

Another piece of hers, “In the garden,” showcases a girl in a field with flowers connected to her almost tying her down. Zona explains “Trials that hold us back can also be the things that make us happy.”
Her piece, “Shame,” showcases a male breaking through a purple watery surface. A tattoo on the arm of the subject reads “Our lives were defined by opposition to the feminine- the two didn’t exist together.” Zona said this piece represents toxic masculinity. The male in the painting is breaking through that surface and trial of gender binary.
Zona describes her artistic style as “realistic with surreal elements.” Zona’s artwork contains layers of metaphorical meaning, as beautiful as the work itself. In her latest collection, Surfaces, each piece works around the idea of people breaking through different surfaces, each one representing struggles and trials in a person’s life.
In the future, Zona wishes to continue working with art; however, she doesn’t want to be a full time artist. “I don’t think I would be fulfilled only drawing for the rest of my life. My dream is to do something with journalism, like an art journalism. I would also like to open up an artistic freelancing company where I can teach artists who don’t have the same opportunities and resources to improve.” Zona said. “Art is an important method for connecting cultures, and I would like to use it that way instead of just creating it.”