Jude Van Zee
Using bright colors and typography inspired by Comix, Jude Van Zee seeks to bridge the gap between traditionally “higher” arts of painting and printmaking and the lowbrow motifs one would find in a sunday newspaper or ephemeral post online.
As a transsexual/transgender creator it is important to him to create symbolic art, which reflects his identity in coded ways whilst touching on universal desires and truths.
Starting off at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2022 as an illustration student, heavily inspired by editorial illustrations of the 1960’s, Jude Van Zee has grown the scope of his practice to include mediums such as lithography and screenprinting using MCAD’s printshop facilities to refer back to the materials used in bygone psychedelic posters. One such lithographic print titled ‘i think i’m spiraling again’(2024) had been selected for Lynaea Russom’s Early Career Artists Show, at Squirrel Haus Arts. Outside of gallery spaces Jude has done design work for numerous clients and sold at many different markets across the twin cities.
Illustration
Comics
Printmaking
Client Work
Through his contract work with the Minneapolis based fabrication studio Mnfx, Jude has worked on projects with clients including Target, Netflix, and Voodoo Ranger.
He has also done freelance design work for local bands such as Mystery Meat and local brands such as Fiendish (formerly known as Ester Edna) Clothing.