Zaniol’s paintings touch upon the universal themes of sea levels rising, loss of traditions, family ties and migration. Her hometown, Venice, a former powerful marine Republic, is now a sinking city-museum, a mass tourist destination.

Local community and traditions are vanishing, and with them the Venetians are being displaced, their lives and memories fading away. Subsidence and ongoing floodings are eroding Venice. Such issues are alluded through the presence of Zaniol’s ancestors submerged by dissolving Venetian damasks and lace patterns, reminiscent of the once thriving industries. Their presence is stuck in a suspended time, layered by a vulnerable net of textures and debris built through encaustic (resin and beeswax) painting techniques, affirming the unique fragility of Venice and its inhabitants.

The intimate format of Zaniol’s paintings, and alluring images, provide a space for personal interpretation; the spectator is invited to envisage the artist’s visual narratives, but also to search for inner memories and connections.