DZIA has a masters in fine art from the Royal Academy in Antwerp but as mentioned in the video above, he went straight to the streets with his work because it’s more direct and he was able to reach more people.
His unique geometric mosaics have appeared in cities across the globe, many of which depict wild animals. The shapes follow the contours of the animal’s form and tonal shading within each defined area adds a sense of volume to the well-defined figures. He shows them in a contrasting urban setting to remind us humans that we are not number one, and that without nature we cannot flourish.
The particular design he chose for our shutter has a nod to both his own roots and the city of Manchester itself. The merging of the two cities cultures is shown as a Manchester Bee sits atop a huge Belgian Hare – a creature native to DZIA’s home country and one of the world’s most intelligent and energetic rabbits.
Next time you’re in the Northern Quarter on a weekend, head on down to 22 Lever Street to check out DZIA’s impressive design on our shutters – we certainly love it and it’s a great addition to the city’s burgeoning street art scene.
