all about the skin...

The art of scientist, researcher, professor, and artist Zane Berzina combines textiles, science, photo imaging, and the incredible organ of the skin to create beautiful and thought provoking work. Zane seems to be almost obsessed with skin as subject as all of her work in a quite extensive portfolio deals with and explores the membrane of skin.


Sometimes her work is very focused on the texture and surface of the skin-



while other times it is more about the science and amazing and diverse capabilities of the skin.


She states:

I work on the intersection of art, design, craft, technology and science. The indeterminate but fertile space in-between these traditionally defined practices and cultures; the potential for synergies between these diverse disciplines is what fascinates me...

My research-led practice takes place both in an artist's studio and in scientific laboratory. Based on these experiences my work also attempts to question the strict boundaries between the notions of the 'scientific' and the 'artistic', and explores the concepts of 'truth', 'objectivity' and 'subjectivity' within each of these cultures...

My early practice-led research work dealt with issues surrounding human skin focusing on the epidermis as a 'naturally intelligent material' on the premise that it can serve as a model and metaphor for new design solutions . Aiming to translate 'skin technology' into my textile practice for creating responsive textile surfaces which behave, look or feel like skin, it examined its aesthetic and functional potential for translation into active textile systems and was an attempt to bridge the gap between aesthetics and technology. Since then the semiotics and the 'technology' of the skin is a reoccurring theme in my practice.

See more of her work and explanations of each project at her website.