The Art of Too Much: Contemporary Artist Luisa Zay on Choice, Overconsumption, and Visual Storytelling
- Sep 24, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 15
Based in Cologne, Germany, artist Luisa Zay creates work that examines choice, consumerism, and daily rituals. Her series Excessive Consumption turns the supermarket into a stage for modern life, where overwhelm and desire collide. Her paintings encourage viewers to slow down and notice the friction between excess and clarity, revealing how ordinary objects reflect larger human truths. In this interview, Zay discusses her path from illustration to painting, her influences, and how her practice continues to evolve.
Q:Let’s start off with a fun ice breaker: If you had to describe yourself as a supermarket aisle, which one would it be (frozen foods, bakery, snacks, produce, etc.) and why?
A: I just took myself, in thought, on a stroll through a local discount store and found myself lingering in the “around the world” aisle. At first glance, it appears to be randomly put together, and even when you look more closely, it still feels that way. I love discovering traditions, specialties, and everyday life rituals from other countries and cultures. When I travel, I am always more drawn to observing daily life, trying local food, and watching how people move through their routines than to sightseeing attractions or places designed mainly for tourists. Getting a sense of what it feels like to live there fascinates me.
Q: Can you share a bit about your background and how you became a full-time artist?
Creating has always been my way of processing feelings and the world around me. Art has been my own cosmos, a place where I choose the colors, stories, and adventures. I always knew I would do something creative, but studying Illustration in Berlin is what truly hooked me. I spent every day drawing, painting, and filling sketchbooks, with ideas constantly flowing. After graduating, I moved to Copenhagen and worked as a full‑time designer for two years, but painting only in my free time wasn’t enough. In 2019, I returned to Germany and have been living and gratefully celebrating the full‑time artist life ever since.
Q: How has illustration influenced your eye for detail, composition, and storytelling?
A: While I have illustrated stories and articles written by others, I have learned how to translate those words into my own visual language, without being too direct or obvious. I wanted to leave space for the viewer’s own thoughts and imagination. My role was simply to open a door to another world through my work. But whether and what stories are hidden behind them was not for me to decide, but for the viewers themselves. And that is still what I am striving for today.
Q: In your ongoing series Excessive Consumption, how do you see the supermarket as a metaphor for the broader human condition, where the sheer number of options can both liberate and paralyze us?
A: I first got the idea for my ongoing series almost two years ago, during a period when I was questioning my place in society and everything that shaped my daily life: how I consume, what I eat, my political views, and the values I hold. I kept returning to the same question: what truly matters to me? One day, after my sister recommended it, I visited an Asian supermarket. From the outside it looked unremarkable, but inside I was met with an overwhelming range of colors and products. Towers of instant ramen, endless soy sauce options, seaweed snacks in flavors I had never heard of. I felt swallowed by it all and forgot why I had come. I left with a random mix of groceries: BBQ seaweed snacks, unfamiliar mushrooms, and a strawberry cookie shaped like a fish.
As I carried them home, a deeper question lingered: on what basis do we decide what to consume? Is my craving truly mine, or the echo of a commercial, an influencer, or a trend? Since then, this question has returned again and again, not only about food but about so many choices in life: styling, relationships, careers. After almost two years, I still feel how strongly it shapes my own life and the lives of those I speak to. It continues to move me, and I’m eager to keep observing, processing, and translating these reflections into more paintings. Q: Looking at your process and technique, how do you think about color in these works, especially when dealing with objects and environments that already have strong visual identities?
A: Generally, I want to create a cold environment in my work. When I am thinking of the moments where I feel overwhelmed, it is mostly cold and tight, not much air and very packed. Therefore, I always start with a cold color base. Usually, I have a color scheme in mind when I start a new painting, and one of the joys of art is the freedom it gives me. For instance, a ketchup bottle can be painted red, blue, or any other color I choose. I can just paint these products in whatever color I want them to be. I love that part, the freedom to decide in my own way and, through it, to create my own reality.
Q: Looking ahead, what do you hope viewers take away from your work—whether about overconsumption, choice, or simply everyday life?
A: My paintings capture moments that serve as non-judgmental societal reflections. I want viewers to feel seen and to sense that they are not alone in this complex and tightly interconnected world. My hope is that they, too, begin to ask themselves: what is it that really matters to me?
For me, making conscious and deliberate decisions each day and questioning my own behaviors and choices has brought me closer to understanding my true needs. And that’s what I love about this series. It is not about restricting ourselves, but about observing and reflecting on our actions in order to understand what truly matters to us.
Through her ongoing series Excessive Consumption, Luisa Zay encourages viewers to reflect on the overwhelming choices in daily life and the ways our behaviors are influenced by society. Her work bridges illustration and fine art, using vibrant color, detailed composition, and everyday objects to capture the tension between excess and human experience. By engaging with her paintings, viewers are invited to question their habits, recognize patterns, and consider what truly matters in a world filled with constant options.
To explore more of Luisa Zay’s work and see how her art transforms ordinary moments into powerful reflections on choice, consumption, and the human condition, follow her on Instagram and visit her website.
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by artists featured, interviewed, or presented on this site are solely those of the respective individuals. They do not necessarily reflect the views, beliefs, or opinions of Selfless Art Gallery, its staff, or affiliates.
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