S a m B u r z a k

Biography

Sam Burzak (b. 1992; she/her) is a visual artist residing in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. She received her BFA in Studio Art - with an emphasis on photography - from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in May of 2024. 

A profound respect for the human experience is at the core of Sam's work. It celebrates the full spectrum of emotions and experiences that shape our journey through life - the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and tribulations, the light and the dark. She aims to capture the essence of humanity, foster heartfelt connections, and gently remind people of the beauty surrounding us through the work she creates. 

In her artistic practice, Sam combines historical and contemporary photographic techniques to create conceptually and visually cohesive works that capture the essence of her vision. She carefully chooses materials to align with each project's subject matter and desired outcome. Her techniques include cyanotype printing, silver gelatin printing, lumen, and chemigram printing, medium and large format film photography, digital photo/video installations, bookmaking, and archival pigment printing. Though her works vary in material, they are unified by recurring themes of grief, spirituality, nature, time, memory, and femininity. 

She has exhibited with Soho Photo Gallery in New York, New York, Chicago Fine Art Salon in Chicago, Illinois, Mana Contemporary in Chicago, Illinois, Side Street Studio Arts in Elgin, Illinois, Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection + Archives in Chicago, Illinois, SAIC Galleries in Chicago, Illinois, and Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, as well as having work published in SAIC's Photography Department Catalog 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 issues, and ILFORD Photo's Online Magazine.