Many artists are known for having a recognizable panache both in the work they create and in their lives away from it. Salvador Dali, Louise Nevelson and Andy Warhol immediately come to mind. Use of certain colors and imagery in their art complimented by or in contrast to the garments they wear or how their hair is styled outside the studio.
Artist Zabe Bader is one of these who recognizes the desirability of both. She recently finished her freshman year at the University of Oklahoma in the School of Visual Arts and will be returning in the fall to resume studies and creating art. In April Bader’s work was included in OU’s 109th Student Art Exhibition in the Lightwell Gallery. The combination of thematic color in her work on display and individual sartorial elán at the show closing reception were both evident.
“I get a lot of my inspiration for my art from my personal expression of style,” Bader said. “What I wore at the exhibition was kind of toned down from what I usually do because my mother likes when I dress a little bit nicer for these types of events. You could consider it Goth I guess. I have a lot of black and dark clothing and do a lot of eccentric make-up. And also add a lot of blue and black into what I wear. It’s one of my favorite things to do, add blue into anything I can.”
Bader was born and raised in Broken Arrow. She was home schooled up until high school at Riverfield Country Day School in Tulsa where art became her focus. Bader thought long and hard about attending the Kansas City Art Institute before choosing OU.
“I realized OU was going to be a better fit for what I was looking
