Zachery Lechtenberg
Influenced by obsessions
Obsessed with collecting
How goods are sold, packaged, presented
Leave it closed or to be opened
Worn or kept as a keepsake
The non-existent struggles created
Process dictated by material
Where hand can or cannot be seen
Narrative is created by this, and a
Narrative created to embellish this
— Zach Lechtenberg
In his mid-twenties, Zachery Lechtenberg is a member of what we currently term “the skateboard generation.” Dilligent and directed, he is an illustrator who has been influenced by contemporary cartoon imagery, particularly the work of Matt Groening, best known for the comic strip Life in Hell and animated series, The Simpsons. Lectenberg conceives his own goofy but lovable characters that inhabit a world populated with artifacts from our “collectible culture.” A collector himself, he focuses on designer toys and other examples of pop memorabilia.
Born and raised in the Midwest, amid dense cornfields and flowing rivers, Lechtenberg claims to have developed his personal narrative to avoid boredom. He received a BFA from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois and MFA from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where he studied with the legendary Robert Ebendorf, who considers Lectenberg’s voice unique among the legion of young artists working today. For his MFA thesis, Lectenberg designed an installation in the guise of a pop-up store that displayed his wacky wares – enamelwork, clothing, sketches, ashtrays, cutting boards, and even skateboards.
Lechtenberg transfers his highly detailed drawings onto brooches and necklaces, plates and T-shirts, stickers and slaps (a form of graphic street art). He uses the technique of champlevé enameling in his colorful jewelry, where related imagery is often engraved on the reverse, as well as the bezel edge. Each piece is presented in a dedicated, handmade box, with an original drawing on the cover. Lechtenberg has participated in several group exhibitions; his work is highly coveted and is in several important international private collections.
