Watercolor, gouache and ink on wood

The painting Delta is a memory of a ride through the delta on highway 160 on the way to see friends. We were at a stop in traffic on this winding one way road for so long that most of the cars had stopped the engines. There was a surreal stillness and buzzing of insects bouncing through the light breeze. I was grateful for this moment with the swaying of the grasses and glimmer of the water. It felt like hope still exists with the beauty and vibrancy of this scene just miles away from the bustle of cities beyond. The ink markings are my visual language that come in a set of numbers, as in a waltz or a morse code. The movement of the marks cascade across the composition through the flowers. I imagine it as a dance that sends a message repeating, we are still here. In the midst of the chaos there is a beauty we can still connect to.

Zoe Ani is a visual artist based in San Francisco. They articulate their practice from the lens of their Hawaiian and indigenous cultures and explore the concept of balance inspired by patterns in nature, place, memories, dreams and music. They have exhibited at San Francisco City Hall, the Napa County Library and the 2023 de Young Open. They are a 2024 grant recipient from the Cenote Foundation.