Talia Eisenberg is pleased to present the work of Saul Zanolari. Having met with great success abroad, Zanolari comes to the Heist Gallery to debut his exquisitely executed and uncanny prints in his first New York solo exhibition. Saul Soul is comprised of eight digital paintings printed on glossy paper, each portraying a grotesquely fantastical yet eerily familiar portrait. As Zanolari reconstructs the figure, he calls into question our perception of the body and its relationship with a perceived human identity.

Zanolari’s two-dimensional, malleable representations simultaneously invite and repulse the viewer. Figures pulled from pop culture are delicately manipulated to create unnerving new relationships as Zanolari’s subjects, often impersonal, are transformed into intimate portraitures. With a bold color palette and tantalizing detail, Zanolari draws us into his twisted world with theatrical measure. Mixing images from celebrity culture with elements drawn from childhood fairytales, Zanolari creates environments that are both placid and sinister. A pair of weary, creased eyes on the pristine face of a child forces us to reconsider her innocence in a culture that encourages premature adulthood. Fables commonly used to impart moralistic themes to impressionable children become part of a dark new context. Likewise, childish features incorporated into an adult portrait cause us to contemplate an alternate perspective. Utilizing tools and subjects unique to the generation of today, Zanolari redefines the traditional portrait with extraordinary skill.

Saul Zanolari (b. 1977, Mendrisio, Switzerland) lives and works in the Italian region of Switzerland, having recently returned from a year long residence in Beijing. He is currently represented by the F2 Gallery in Beijing and by the Galerie Mamia Bretesche in Paris. Since 2005 he has had several solo shows and participated in many group exhibitions worldwide.