Zach Rapp-Rovan, known as “Hooks” in the legendary EDM duo Zeds Dead, is presenting more than just aural art during a busy few days this week in Chicago.
The entertainer will showcase his latest visual art project, “Lost and Found,” from 2-6 p.m. Thursday at Gallery 6, 3234 W. Fullerton Ave., in Logan Square. It’s a curtain raiser to Zeds Dead’s concerts Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at The Salt Shed.
“It’s all going to be arranged in a specific way for people to look at and hangout, and I’ll be coming through to say hi,” Rapp-Rovan said of the gallery, noting, “It’s all for sale.” Posters and art pieces from previous works will also be displayed and, of course, music will be attuned to “the vibe I’m trying to create.”
Zeds Dead was formed by Rapp-Rovan and Dylan “DC” Mamid in 2009. The Toronto-born duo has since become one of the most successful electronic acts in the past decade, spanning EDM sub genres with their bass-heavy sound.
“Lost and Found” draws back to Rapp-Rovan’s artistic roots in graffiti, when as a young teen he would paint trains, underpasses or knock on people’s doors and ask to paint their garage or fence.
The upcycling-themed project involved sifting through thrift stores, garage sales and flea markets — the same way he searched for inspiration as a teen.
“Finding canvases is sort of the bane of an artist because it’s expensive,” Rapp-Rovan said. “I feel like with graffiti, it’s very versatile, so it lends itself to all types of objects. And I believe in recycling.”
Among the exhibit’s highlights is a collage of old vinyl records — “like dollar bin kind of weird stuff that nobody wants” — that he brushed up with his own graffiti touch, most notably the “Hooks” nickname, he said.
One album cover depicts a man playing the alpenhorn in the Swiss Alps, with “Hooks” painted in line with the shape of the instrument. Another shows a mountain range with the words, “From the Highlands” changed to, “From the Hookslands.”
He treated the album mosaic as he would drawing graffiti, embracing the colors and shapes that the album presents.
“When you’re doing (graffiti), there’s always things that you have to paint around – objects or an eavestrough or some sort of pipe or metal – and incorporate your color scheme into the color of the wall,” Rapp-Rovan said.
Other mesmerizing artwork in the “Lost and Found” project were formed on old wooden boards, as well as a table he recently found.
Rapp-Rovan, 35, brought a pop-up art show to Chicago in 2021 and has done others in Denver, Los Angeles and New York.
He and Mamid feel a connection with Chicago, Rapp-Rovan said, where they’ve made yearly stops in the fall and have been a familiar summer music festival headliner.
“Chicago shows us so much love over the years,” Rapp-Rovan said. “It’s always been one of our favorite places to play. The fans are incredible, they give so much energy. The city itself has a lot of charm. I love spending time there and it’s just kind of like a second home.”
Rapp-Rovan is striving to expand his visual art audience beyond those who know him for his music.
“I’m sort of trying to build myself as a visual artist,” he said, “sort of gradually show people that I do that, so someone might be into that and not necessarily be a Zeds Dead fan.”
