Sarah Zimmer is a Chicago-based painter and designer whose work delves into themes of identity, authority, and interconnectedness. Influenced by nature’s adaptability and ungovernable power, she explores the tension between the intrinsic self and the pressures of familial, cultural, and societal expectations.

Zimmer creates vibrant, organic dreamscapes where these constraints don’t exist, filling canvases with intermingled lines, bold color choices, and impossible settings. Her use of water-warped, uncontrolled colors alongside tight lines embodies a tension between softness and hardness, hope and sorrow, allure and repulsion. This interplay of opposites mirrors the conflict between our authentic and adapted selves, revealing the layered complexity of human experience.

Her work offers both discomfort and comfort, providing a vivid portrayal of the multifaceted nature of existence. Through these surreal, immersive environments, Zimmer invites viewers to explore their own internal landscapes, offering a space to reconnect with their inherent, unfiltered selves.