"Making my art is my only way to participate in the world. It's always been better to create than destroy. Destroying is very simple. The people who create rather than destroy are really the architects of society."
Chemical Line Imagery
This series of artworks is concerned with the combination of painting and sculpture using “chemical reactions”. Using plastic polymers to create works of art.
These techniques are a rejection to traditional methods using paint, brushes, pencils, etc.
This series was highly experimental. Zagami was using mixtures of chemicals to create line, imagery and content.
Metal Works
Man-made materials have always been first choice for Zagami’s artwork. Art is the expression of man, based on this thought. Zagami has preferred to use metals and plastic as his mediums of expression.
Natural materials have their own natural beauty and characteristics that automatically create aesthetic systems. When an artist uses man-made materials the outcome / or the finished artwork is a true representation of man expression not supported by the crutch of natural / or nature’s inherent beauty.
Some of the largest and most diverse objects of this century are made of fabricated metals. Zagami has also combined metals and plastics to create works of art. His range includes small and large scale works.
Photography
Zagami’s photos are special moments in the day when the artist captures idiosyncrasies, ideology, and something culturally significant, then manipulating imagery into a conceptual statement.
The above thoughts are analogous with Zagami’s definition of art. His photographic imagery deals with fragmented and figurative symbols that provide memory recall and cross-referencing which stimulate a variety of responses at different rates of comprehension.
Psychology
This series of artworks concern themselves with observations of ourselves and society: relationships, struggles, contentment, joy, hope.
Zagami has always observed the rational and irrational of mankind.
These works capture some of his observations and make statements about their absurdity of man’s nature. These works have helped Zagami in his search and understanding of achieving the goal of “happiness.”
Stone Works
As mentioned earlier, art often blends the technology of today with the traditions of the past. Zagami has found inspiration for his thoughts and processes in this blend of the past and present.
Stone work is the oldest form of sculpture. For Zagami, who has been creating art for over forty years, stone work played a major role in his understanding of form, space, and aesthetics. This medium, in contradiction to much of his views, still continues to influence him in his work.
He recently has returned to using stone for a medium of expression as well as teaching a course in stone carving.
The Gallery of New Zagami Fine Art
