Zelga Simone Miller's work speaks of layers, of peeling back the veneers of the everyday to contemplate what is beneath. Her work questions the surface, her scenes are imbued with a serenity which when examined closer hide a sense of disquiet. She says, ‘My practice looks beyond the physical elegance of the line and more intensively towards the emotional vulnerability of the figure.’
Rooted in an archival approach, with an appreciation of the rich potential of drawing, Zelga Miller's work often begins with a figure from memory or a photograph. Each composition is poised, there is a sense of balance and reflection, a moment before or perhaps after an event. The softness of Zelga’s colour palette gives each piece a dreamlike impression, this aesthetic feels intensely feminine and is an opening into her enquiring mind. Space in the work is a strong theme, giving room to develop personal connections and conversations around each piece.
Zelga’s practice uses a range of media, she moves deftly between printmaking, drawing and painting, in pursuit of a balance between a sense of stillness and dynamic fluidity. Ultimately, she says ‘I see my practice as examining humankind’s actions, emotions and subsequent resilience; I am fascinated by our capacity to adapt to adversity.’
Zelga’s work spans drawing, painting, and woodcut printmaking with training across Ruskin School of Art (Complete Drawing), Central St Martins (Oil painting), Wimbledon (UAL), (MFA), Turps (Painting), and she begins with the Royal College Art MA Painting in Sept 2025-2026.