Rising Stars: Meet Zach McCraw of Winston-Salem

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach McCraw.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I am a surrealist, a subversive. I make surreal, futurist digital paintings, which I began in 2017. I stepped into my life as an artist in the early Y2K warehouse art-punk scene, where I formed music and performance art groups and explored visual art. I then became a touring musician and artist. Returning to NC, I concentrated my energy on visual art. In 2021 I founded a studio & gallery space on the 9th floor of the Liberty Plaza building in downtown Winston-Salem. The space, called Culture, has 32 art studios, a video production lab, a podcast studio, a gallery, and an event space. We host regular art shows, artist meetups, workshops, and classes. Alongside my digital art, which I regard as my main art form, I produce electronic music, manage and promote local hip-hop artists, collect antiques, direct and edit video projects, and curate art exhibits for my gallery. I revel in alternative thinking, consider myself a Robin Hood figure, and am creative.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Regardless of my favorable circumstances, I continue to soldier on and create daily. My life has been entirely committed to art, and my trajectory has remained true.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
My art journey was wild exploration, touching, and experimenting with every medium available. It was in 2017 that I developed a process of digital painting on my iPhone. The device gave me the freedom to create anywhere and allowed me to form my ideas into images with great speed. This agency in image-making allowed my surrealist sensibilities to fully develop and grow into a signature style of soft lysergic compositions. In 2021 I was awarded the Artist Support Grant, which gave me an iPad to develop my digital art further. It is in my paintings that time is lost and form subverted. The compositions settle into biomorphic arrangements that defy the laws of physics and challenge reality. These works explore the relationship between color, space, and the interaction of light and form. The paintings live, breathe, and mystify with an imbalance of familiarity and the unknown.

Please talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy.
Time to create is an infinite source of happiness. Time with my daughter, who, at 3 years old, is already becoming an artist. Mid-century films, techno music, kitsch antiques, fashion, esoteric literature. I find great happiness in helping artists progress toward their dreams. With my independent studio space, it is a great joy to provide an eclectic creative community that fosters outsider and underground art. In 2018 I began booking, promoting, and managing local rap artists. Making connections with young creatives and providing a platform for them to express themselves brings me great happiness.

Contact Info:

• Website: ZachMcCraw.net
• Instagram: @Zach_mccraw @culturews
• Other: Opensea.io/accounts/zachmccraw

Image Credits
Self-portrait by Zach McCraw Digital Paintings by Zach McCraw