I discovered WALLY ZAELOR by chance on a stroll through Union Square. His work immediately seized my attention, and I found myself purchasing two of his pieces on the spot– something I very rarely do. It was an irresistible connection with the work, something in his figures, at once eerie and delightful, and always so expressive, that resonated deeply.

I kept in contact with him, bought more of the work, and finally, we got together at his home/studio in Queens. I have lost count of the studios I have visited in the past 15 years; each is a sacred space, where artists express their deepest feelings, philosophies, ideas, and imagination. Wally’s was no exception. The space exuded a sense of reverence that is nothing short of what you find at a temple. It fills me with pride to showcase his work. 

Wally tells me that everyone has a mission. More than creating, he is revealing, through art, a knowledge only he has: his self-knowledge. It comes to him through meditation: “you should be able to close your eyes, sit down, and touch something,” he explains; “the work is a spiritual language I use to express it.” To me, Wally embodies the very essence of the creative spirit. “Only I can know myself,” he tells me, “but you can know some of what I know through art.”

@wallyzaelor
wallyzaelor.wixsite.com/wallyart
_{TEXT BY RAFAEL WAACK}