Golden Diptychs and Triptychs for Los Angeles Interiors: The Stories Behind Zack Zublena’s Art
By Zack Zublena — the personal stories behind my golden diptychs and triptychs, and how to choose fine art photography for Los Angeles homes, hotels and wellness spaces.
Los Angeles is a city where images carry extraordinary weight. Cinema, photography, music and architecture shape its identity, but its artistic life also unfolds in more intimate settings: an Arts District loft, a hillside living room in Los Feliz, a contemporary home in Venice, or a quiet meditation space in Brentwood. In these interiors, a photograph can become something you live with every day—a presence that changes with the light and deepens with familiarity.
From The Broad on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles to the photographic works in LACMA’s collections, the city offers many ways to encounter art. My own approach begins with people: their gestures, their individuality, and the connection that emerges when I photograph them in gold.
I began photographing people painted in gold in 2016. Since then, I have returned to the human body as a language of strength, sensuality, vulnerability and stillness. Some of the stories below unfolded in Downtown Los Angeles; others began in my backyard, in the desert, or years earlier in South Africa.
These diptychs and triptychs are deeply personal. Sometimes, years pass before I create the photograph that feels right beside an existing image. I am looking for a relationship that elevates their shared energy. Visual harmony matters, but the deeper connection between the photographs is what makes me bring them together.
Where It Began: Wildlife, Gold and the Instinct Within Us
In 2012, I photographed wildlife in Kruger National Park, South Africa. That experience marked the beginning of my serious relationship with photography. Years later, I brought those feline images together with the very first woman I photographed in gold, in 2016.
For me, this diptych connects two beginnings. The animal presence speaks to something instinctive within each of us; the golden figure gives that instinct a human expression. I wanted the result to feel warm, sensual and elegant, with a femininity that remains completely her own.
In a Los Angeles interior, I would give this pairing enough space for both images to hold their presence—perhaps on a clear wall in a Los Feliz living room or an Arts District loft, where the relationship between the two can be appreciated from a distance.
A Golden Dreamscape: One Exposure, Mirrors and Backyard Roses
This triptych was photographed at the end of a session with an Italian singer. She was seated on a chair in my living room, while I stood outside in the garden with the French doors open.
With an assistant and a carefully arranged system of mirrors and reflections, I captured her figure and the rose bushes behind me within the same exposure. Each image is a single photograph: the figure and flowers were not created by superimposing two separate photographs.
I deliberately wanted the images to be blurred. The technical challenge was to bring these different spaces together while preserving that softness. The roses appear to surround her, suggesting that she is seated in the garden. Her figure becomes almost a memory—dreamlike, intimate and romantic.
That relationship between interior and garden feels especially relevant to Los Angeles, where open doors and changing daylight can become part of daily life. For another perspective on the meeting of art and landscape, the gardens at the Getty Center offer a local reference. Here, however, the garden belongs to the photograph itself, transformed through reflection.
Two Seated Figures: A Diptych Very Dear to My Heart
This pairing is particularly dear to me. I loved the femininity and grace of the woman’s pose. Later, I asked a male model to explore a similar position so that I could bring the two photographs together.
The intention was to create a conversation between two people. A related gesture allows their differences to become more visible: the way each body carries its weight, the feeling of the hands, the quiet character of the pose.
I see this diptych working beautifully in an intimate Los Angeles setting—a bedroom, a private sitting room, or a space where you can take your time with the images.
The Divine Feminine and Masculine: Choosing to Face Each Other
The female photograph in this diptych is an award-winning image. I love the flowing line of her silhouette and the generous curves of her body. I later created its masculine counterpart because, together, the photographs express what I understand as the divine feminine and the divine masculine.
Their orientation matters. They could have been placed back to back, but I chose to have them face each other. That decision creates an exchange: two distinct presences acknowledging one another.
For a spacious Hollywood Hills living room or a contemporary entrance in Brentwood, I would consider this pairing where the architecture gives both figures room to breathe.
Golden Lips and Backyard Flowers: A Personal Story with a Spa Connection
The flowers in this pairing were photographed in my backyard. The close-up of the golden lips came from a spontaneous moment during another session: I was photographing the woman while her partner was having his makeup applied.
I loved the sensuality of that detail. Bringing the lips together with flowers gave the images a feeling of spring—freshness, warmth and intimacy, with a delicate connection between the human body and the natural world.
This pairing was selected for a David Lloyd spa. You can read more about that wider collaboration in how Zack Zublena’s artwork decorated more than 120 David Lloyd clubs.
For a Los Angeles spa or treatment room, this is a pairing I would consider when the desired atmosphere is gentle and sensory, with an emphasis on small details.
A Fire Dancer in the Desert: Movement at Sundown
The woman in this triptych is a professional fire dancer who also teaches her discipline. I wanted to photograph her in gold, so we went into the desert and worked as the sun was setting.
She danced with the fire lit around her. The experience was extraordinary: changing daylight, moving flames, and a body that knew how to inhabit that environment. Photographing it required attention to several things at once, while allowing her movement to remain alive.
This triptych carries the energy of that evening. For an expressive Los Angeles dining room or hospitality interior, it can bring movement into a space that otherwise feels very still.
Five Years Apart: Finding the Connection in My Archive
This is one of my favorite triptychs. Although the three photographs form a coherent sequence, they portray two different women and were taken five years apart.
I feel strongly connected to these images. Their gestures, softness and balance allowed them to come together naturally, even though they did not originate in the same session.
This is an important part of how I work. A photograph may remain in my archive for years before its companion appears. When the connection finally feels right, the resulting diptych or triptych gains a shared energy that I could not have forced earlier.
Hands in Prayer: Creating a Companion Photograph
The male photograph came first. I loved its presence and wanted to create a companion that would allow me to offer the two images as a diptych.
I asked the woman to explore the same prayer position. The gesture becomes a point of connection, while each person brings a different feeling to it. I love the quiet strength of the result.
In a Los Angeles meditation room, yoga studio or private retreat space, I would choose this diptych for the sense of centeredness it offers.
One Day in Downtown Los Angeles: Two Women, Three Images
These three photographs were taken on the same day in Downtown Los Angeles. The two women had never met before the session. One was a contortionist; the other was a yoga teacher. That day, they also did the makeup.
Each brought a different understanding of movement and the body. As we worked together, those differences became a source of possibility. The central star-like composition and the images on either side emerged from that shared creative experience.
I think the three photographs work incredibly well together. They also hold a very specific memory of Los Angeles for me: people meeting, bringing their skills into a room, and making something that none of us could have produced alone.
A Backyard Portrait of Strength: Gold and the Architecture of Muscle
These close-ups were photographed in my backyard. I was drawn to the model’s physical strength and to the way light moved across his muscles after he was painted in gold.
Working closely changes what a portrait can reveal. The body becomes a landscape of tension, curves and shadow. I find these photographs powerful and sensual, with a sculptural quality that comes from the relationship between the body and the light.
For an Arts District loft or a contemporary Hollywood Hills interior, this triptych could provide a strong focal point against a restrained architectural background.
A Favorite Yogi: Balance, Control and Upward Energy
This yogi is one of my favorite people to photograph. His understanding of his body allows us to explore positions that feel both physically demanding and deeply composed.
In this triptych, the central image—with the legs lifted high—creates an upward movement, while the photographs on either side hold the sequence together. I see a powerful relationship between discipline, balance and release.
The three images can support the atmosphere of a Los Angeles yoga studio or home practice space, particularly where the room is designed around concentration and movement.
The Forgotten Lenses: A Los Angeles Shoot I Will Always Remember
This session with the acrobat and yoga teacher began with an unexpected problem: I had forgotten my lenses. The women were ready, and they had to wait while I went to Downtown Los Angeles to rent replacements.
I rented sophisticated Zeiss lenses, but the ones I was using required manual focus. I often repeated a photograph five times to make sure I had a sharp frame.
That extra attention became part of the session. Looking at the finished images, I remember the concentration, the patience of the women, and the pleasure of finally capturing their connection. The story behind a polished photograph can be wonderfully human.
The Anonymous Yogi: Leaving Space for the Viewer
In these photographs, we never see the yogi’s face. That gives the images a particular openness: the figure could be anybody, and the viewer can connect with the position without needing to know the person.
I love the strength of these kneeling poses. There is a feeling of inward attention, of remaining grounded while becoming completely present.
For a quiet room in Silver Lake, a Brentwood meditation space, or a Los Angeles wellness studio, this triptych offers a contemplative direction.
Butterflies and Color: A More Joyful Golden World
The butterfly images required a great deal of work to create. I wanted the colors and butterflies to bring a feeling of lightness around the golden figure, while preserving the elegance of her silhouette.
I love their joyful energy. The body remains the center of the composition, but the surrounding color gives it another atmosphere—playful, luminous and full of life.
In a Venice home or an expressive Los Angeles creative space, this pairing could introduce a brighter rhythm. The blue background in the interior visualization shows one possible conversation between the photographs and the room around them.
Invictus: Photographing a Woman Who Really Fights
The woman in this diptych is a fighter. She practices wrestling and sword fighting, and she arrived at the studio with her own sword.
She had just had her dreadlocks done at the hairdresser before we painted her in gold. Her appearance and the sword were connected to who she was, which gave the session a powerful authenticity.
I wanted to preserve that strength. The resulting photographs carry her determination, physical confidence and individuality. For an interior that calls for a bold human presence, this pairing has a very particular character.
Presence and Absence: A Contemporary Diptych on Black
This final pairing explores a related pose with the head visible in one photograph and outside the visible composition in the other. That change alters how we read the body and its gesture.
I love the simplicity of the images against black. They feel contemporary, intriguing and powerful, with very little needed around them.
For readers exploring contemporary art in Los Angeles, the Hammer Museum in Westwood provides another local point of reference. When choosing a pairing like this for your own interior, I would consider a clear wall where its restraint can be fully appreciated.
Choosing Diptychs and Triptychs for Los Angeles Interiors
Los Angeles offers many different architectural settings. An Arts District loft, a Los Feliz hillside home and a contemporary Venice residence each create a different relationship between artwork, light and space. The Los Angeles Conservancy’s work on modern architecture offers useful context for understanding the city’s architectural heritage.
When choosing a diptych or triptych, I would begin with the feeling you want to experience in the room. A prayer gesture may support contemplation; the fire dancer brings movement; the lips and flowers suggest intimacy and renewal. The most meaningful choice starts with the photographs that you genuinely connect with.
- For an Arts District loft: consider the full composition against the scale of the wall, including the spaces between the individual photographs.
- For a Hollywood Hills or Los Feliz living room: assess the work from both the main seating position and the entrance, so the relationship between the images remains clear.
- For a Venice or Brentwood home: observe how daylight falls on the intended wall throughout the day, and discuss glare and light protection with your framer.
- For a Los Angeles hotel or hospitality space: choose an atmosphere appropriate to the setting—an expressive entrance, an intimate suite, or a quieter corridor.
- For a spa, yoga studio or meditation room: consider the emotional tone of the whole sequence and how it relates to the experience you want guests to have.
The interior images in this article are visualizations intended to help you imagine different arrangements. The right dimensions and framing should be chosen for your actual wall, viewing distance and lighting.
To continue exploring the city’s cultural life, the Los Angeles Times’ Entertainment & Arts coverage offers a local editorial perspective. For the artwork itself, I encourage you to look beyond the first impression and spend time with the relationship between the photographs.
Bring a Personal Connection into Your Los Angeles Space
Every pairing here carries a memory: a first golden portrait, a dancer at sundown, a spontaneous close-up, or a day of collaboration in Downtown Los Angeles. Bringing these photographs together allows those moments to develop another life.
My hope is that you find a diptych or triptych whose energy feels right for your space—and whose story gives you a lasting connection to the work.
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