Zoë Alexandra Miller
Remembering Zoë Alexandra Miller
Dear patrons and friends,
On the morning of February 11th, visual artist, filmmaker, and all around cutie-pie Zoë Miller passed away peacefully after a long and fearless battle with cancer. She leaves behind her devoted husband Juan, her angelic dog Haru, amazing parents Liz and Paul, her loving aunt Amy, caring friends and family, and a large body of creative work, some of which she had been posting here. This site will continue to be updated as a celebration of her life, art, and the indelible impression she left on us all.
Zoë was immensely talented, an artist in every sense of the word—pouring her unique genius into all of her projects—whether creative, domestic, or professional. As a documentary film producer and editor, she shared her deep love for storytelling and mastery of the audiovisual language. Over her 14-year career, Zoë worked on a wide range of projects for NBC Universal, Vice Media, Bustle, and on independent films like Union (2024). As her career progressed, she shifted her focus toward socially conscious stories that sought to inspire and empower viewers, including a project where she spent several weeks getting to know incarcerated individuals and celebrating their passion for musical theater. A selection of her works can be found here.
Zoë took immense pride in advocating for the common good and was an outspoken proponent for addressing injustices in the workplace. Her selflessness and determination were among her greatest gifts, and they were on full display when she took the lead in championing gender equity during a class-action suit brought against Vice Media. She was fearless.
Just a short while later, Zoë became a union organizer at NBC Universal, uniting with her co-workers to demand fair and equitable workplace practices at one of the biggest corporations on the planet.
Through it all, art was a constant grounding force in Zoë’s life. Her “doodles,” as she affectionately called them, were a place of refuge where she could disappear into her own world for days on end, creating incredibly intricate designs and experimenting with patterns and minimal colors to achieve mind-bending effects, all with the funny and furry Haru at her feet.
While some days proved harder than others, she always found joy in sharing her work and updates on this site. Zoë felt deeply connected to everyone who enjoyed her art and truly cherished the engagement and support she received.
If you want to honor Zoë’s memory and keep her light alive, you can do so by sharing in the art she loved creating. Beautiful prints of her designs on fine art stock, t-shirts, and mugs remain available for those who wish to cherish and celebrate her work. Your purchase of one or more items will go directly to assisting Juan and her family with the financial burden that comes with being sick in America.
Zoë has left us but what she leaves behind are these beautiful and one-of-a-kind works. We love Zoë and appreciate you taking the time to read this.
Holiday Life Update: Good news/Bad news (Updated December, 2024)
Hello my lovely patrons and friends, I hope everyone is carrying on well through this holiday season so I’ll give you all the bad news first…Unfortunately, the cancer has spread. I have become almost entirely house-bound, I am in constant pain and going blind in my right eye. These many, many setbacks have made it very challenging to continue working, but I continue to make art to soothe my soul, even if it is more difficult than ever.
Thanks for all your support thus far, so now for some GOOD NEWS!! I will be restocking the store and adding new printing options with new designs, and all the out-of-stock items will be available as prints/t-shirts/mugs/whatever you’d like.
All the love in the world,
-Z
PS: Keep scrolling for a full list of available art for sale!!
“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.”
- Pema Chödrön
Life Update: January 24th, 2024
On January 8th, 2021, my life was forever altered when I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
In the years since, it’s been a challenge for me to share what I have been going through publicly. I’ve endured years of unspeakable pain, confusion, and so much grief…but through my marathon of suffering, I‘ve continued to create artwork that I feel very proud of.
I began working on these abstract drawings in 2014 and in the last 3 years they have truly evolved into something else. What was once a “render drawing” completed in downtime at work are now personal mandalas, helping me calm my mind between agonizing tests and treatments. I often feel compelled to work on them.
Each unique drawing takes between 15-20 hours to complete, depending on the complexity of the designs and patterns. I have created my own language of doodles, and I also enjoy using negative space to emphasize the overall kaleidoscopic effects. They’re created with pen and Sharpie on Swarthmore acid-free drawing paper, 8”x6” unless otherwise noted.
One of the biggest disappointments in the last few months is that I am no longer able to work…so I’ve decided to put these original abstract pen drawings up for sale.
By supporting my art, you are directly helping me navigate the deep, dark, shark-infested waters of chronic illness and the costs associated with treatment. I have endured more trauma in the last three years than most people can imagine and I could not have survived so many horrors without my loving husband, my family, my dog and my beautiful friends faithfully by my side.
Thank you for the continued support and love.
-Z
