Zachary M. Jesse is a queer Irish/Mexican American multidisciplinary artist working in photography, sculpture, and critical studies. His family is deeply rooted in Chicago and hails from Pilsen, Brighton Park, and Beverly. Zach is largely influenced by his identity and movement between neighborhoods. Akin to this upbringing, his work moves between mediums to document and process notions around identity, politics, nature, and urbanism. Intersections and boundaries help steer Jesse's work, whether literal or conceptual. He defines city architecture, civic and public space as beacons of disturbance and juncture as it concerns gaps in preservation, social boarders, or some fleeting serendipity. .
Movement is a key faction of Zach’s practice with most of his time is spent commuting by bus, train, or walking. He is fixated on what looks like and what it means to move through shared spaces; how it relates to our identity or naturalistic routines. The temporary state of these public scenarios is dreamlike— short-lived and puzzling. Through this process, Zachary is inclined to explore materials or techniques which lend themselves to narratives of documentary or utility.
Zachary resides near the city's geographic center in McKinley Park and holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). He currently serves as a district administrator within Chicago Public Schools’ Office of College and Career Success (OCCS)— the same school district where he earned his K-8 education.
In bringing the arts to a broader community, Zachary's previous work and civic experience include the Beverly Arts Alliance, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Chicago Urban Art Society (CUAS), Chicago Loop Alliance, City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), CNL Projects, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA), Happy Gallery Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Slow & Low: Chicago Lowrider Festival, South Side Weekly, Terrain Exhibitions, and The University of Chicago Graham School.
