Nelly Zagury

Presentation

Nelly Zagury (b. 1987, Paris) is a French artist. Born into a family with multiple Mediterranean cultures - Moroccan, French and Greek - she shares in her work an experience of femininity that transcends the exotic and orientalist imaginary. In search of re-enchantment, her paintings and sculptures feature mystical and powerful heroines. Zagury obtained her Master's degree from HEAR (Haute École des Arts du Rhin) in Strasbourg and studied jewelry and fashion accessory design at HEAD (Haute École d'Art et de Design) in Geneva. After working in Paris for a haute couture house and designing jewelry for Chanel and Boucheron, she moved to New York to design the costumes for the film opera River of Fundament by American artist Matthew Barney. She is the co-founder of 3D-printed jewelry brand Holy Faya (2014-2018) with the support of LVMH and artists such as Rashaad Newsome, Demi Lovato and FKA Twigs. Between 2018 and 2020, Zagury moved to Los Angeles where she worked with South African artist Simphiwe Ndzube (Stevenson Gallery Cape Town, Nicodim gallery Los Angeles, Museo Kaluz Mexico) and developed Songs Of My Fantasy, a phantasmagorical opera in two acts in the form of a collection of poems, paintings and sculptures. His work has been exhibited in major French institutions including: MAD Museum, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; Palais Royal (Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication), Paris; Musée Historique, Strasbourg; Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame, Strasbourg. Zagury's work has been the subject of solo exhibitions, including: “Sisters Of The Sea”, Align Gallery, Los Angeles (2019); “Songs Of My Fantasy”, Brewery Art Complex, Los Angeles (2019); “Holy Faya: The Black Crook Grand Premiere”, The Chimney, New York (2016); “Sunset Split”, 22ruemulllet, Paris (2013). Zagury has also participated in group exhibitions, including: “In Her Element”, Mash Gallery, Los Angeles (2023); “The Erotic Impulse In The Ever Becoming Universe”, Mash Gallery, Los Angeles (2022); “Every Woman Biennal”, Superchief Gallery NFT, New York (2021); “Holding Space”, Big Pictures Los Angeles (2019) ; “I've always imagined that paradise would be a kind of library”, Blake and Vargas, Berlin (2019); The Chimney, New York (2019); “The Crew II”, Matthew Barney Studio, New York (2014); “La Peau de l'Ours” at Musée Zoologique, Strasbourg, 2011. Zagury has been resident at Selebe Yoon, Dakar, Senegal (2023); Massa Stories, Agadir, Morocco (2022); Le Wonder, Paris, France (2022). Source : https://fr.selebe-yoon.com/residency/nellyzagury.