ZOOBS ANSARI
Surrealism, escapism, obsession, celebrity, art, culture, pain, joy and a big mixer by the name of Zoobs Ansari. Zoobs took photography, film, painting, sound and collage to tell the story of the insanity of celebrity culture. Building off of his kindred spirit of Andy Warhol’s famous 15 minutes of fame quote and showing the 15 minutes of fame in a unique light. A light that shows what is hidden in the shadows of the pursuit of fame, in a delicate balance of beauty and glamor with depths of meaning.
Zoobs was the product of an immigrant family, like Andy. They both also experienced the loss of their fathers at a young age. These experiences among others shaped the way they viewed much of the world. Zoobs is a British artist raised in London until the death of his father at the age of 8. He then spent lived form the age of 8 to 15 in Islamabad before returning to London. During those formative years Zoobs immersed himself in celebrity pop culture and his own art. They were his escape and way to deal with the loss of his father and the shocking cultural change.
“Insanity Fair”, the title of the collection first exhibited in its complete form in London in March 2019, by Zoobs Ansari has the air of prophecy about it. The works contained in, “Insanity Fair”, were produced over the span of 6 years using a multitude of mediums. It takes all the tools in the toolbox to express insanity.