Alexandra “Zaza” Maksymec is an illustrator and screen printer based in Chicago.

Around the age of nine, Alex declared that she wanted to be a painter when she grew up. Though she’s wound the path from completing a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, to dipping her toes in the museum science world, and finding a COVID-era detour to her current job in data and analytics, Alex solidly maintains her position as “artist.” Thus, here she is fulfilling her inner child’s dream and using this website as her version of proof of the matter.

Try as she may to insert thematic variety to the prints she creates, Alex’s illustrations often feature birds. She’s inspired by nature—particularly that of Illinois-native flora and fauna—thanks to plentiful volunteer experience in environmental conservancy and restoration and to the backyard birds she and her cat stare at daily in the window feeder. Gratefully, this cat-lady lifestyle also offers her a few ideas to deviate from the usual subject matter, such as (surprise) feline friends, the fares of her farmers market outings and home-cooking, travel, and sometimes just silly things that feel right in the moment.