Golden Diptychs and Triptychs for San Francisco Interiors: The Stories Behind Zack Zublena’s Art
By Zack Zublena — the personal stories behind my golden diptychs and triptychs, with inspiration for choosing fine art photography for San Francisco homes, hotels and wellness spaces.
San Francisco: Living with Photography, Architecture and Changing Light
A Victorian sitting room in Pacific Heights, a contemporary apartment in SoMa, a converted loft in Dogpatch, or an intimate home in Noe Valley: each offers a different way to live with photography. In San Francisco, the character of the architecture and the changing daylight can become part of your relationship with an artwork.
The city also has a distinctive photographic heritage. SFMOMA’s photography collection grew from a Bay Area community that included Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham and Edward Weston. That history provides a meaningful local context for looking at photography as an art form, with its own ways of expressing the body, nature and human presence.
I am Zack Zublena, a French-American artist. I have lived in Los Angeles for eighteen years, and it was there that I began photographing people painted in gold in 2016. The photographs below hold memories of real encounters: people whose grace or strength moved me, a gesture I wanted to explore, or an unexpected moment during a session.
For this San Francisco guide, I want to share those stories and consider how the resulting diptychs and triptychs might find a place in your surroundings. Their origins are personal to me; the relationship you develop with them becomes your own.
Sometimes, years pass before I create the photograph that belongs beside an existing image. I wait for a connection that feels meaningful. My intention is to elevate the shared energy of the photographs, allowing their relationship to express something deeper than visual harmony alone.
Golden Feline Spirit: The Instinct Behind the Images
In 2012, I photographed wildlife in Kruger National Park, South Africa. That experience marked the beginning of my serious relationship with photography. Later, I brought those feline images together with the very first woman I photographed in gold, in 2016.
This diptych connects two beginnings in my life. The animal presence speaks to the instinct that lives within each of us. The woman gives that feeling a human expression: warm, sensual and elegant, with a femininity that remains distinctly hers.
For a San Francisco interior, I would consider a clear wall where the two photographs can be seen together. In a Dogpatch loft, their organic forms could create an interesting relationship with the room’s architectural materials.
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 produced by superimposing two separate photographs.
I deliberately wanted the images to be blurred. Bringing those different spaces together while preserving their softness was a technical challenge. The roses appear to surround her, creating the impression that she is seated in the garden. Her figure becomes almost suggested, giving the photographs a dreamlike, romantic intimacy.
For San Francisco readers drawn to the relationship between gardens and visual experience, the Gardens of Golden Gate Park offer a local setting for observing plants, color and changing light. In my triptych, the garden enters the image through reflection.
I would imagine this sequence in a quiet Pacific Heights bedroom or a Noe Valley reading space, where its details can reveal themselves gradually.
Two Seated Figures: An Intimate Pairing for a San Francisco Home
This diptych is very dear to my heart. 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 related gesture creates a connection while allowing their differences to remain visible. Each person brings a distinct presence to the posture, the hands and the way the body carries its weight.
For a bedroom in Russian Hill or an intimate sitting room in Pacific Heights, I would consider this pairing where it can be appreciated from a comfortable, everyday viewing position.
The Divine Feminine and Masculine: Choosing Their Relationship
The female photograph in this diptych is an award-winning image. I love the flowing movement of her silhouette and the generous curves of her body. I later created its masculine companion because, together, the photographs express what I understand as the divine feminine and the divine masculine.
They could have been arranged back to back, but I chose to have them face each other. That orientation creates an exchange between two distinct presences.
In a contemporary SoMa residence, this pairing could become the focus of a generous wall. In a Victorian interior, I would first consider the space between doors, windows and decorative details, so that the two figures can be experienced as a complete relationship.
Golden Lips and Flowers: A Gentle Direction for San Francisco Spas
The flowers 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 it together with flowers created a feeling of spring, with warmth and a delicate connection between the human body and the natural world.
This pairing was selected for a David Lloyd spa. You can discover the wider collaboration in how Zack Zublena’s artwork decorated more than 120 David Lloyd clubs.
For a San Francisco hotel spa or private treatment room, I would consider these photographs when the desired atmosphere is intimate and sensory. Their quiet details invite a closer look.
A Fire Dancer at Sundown: Movement for a Dogpatch or SoMa Interior
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 session brought together changing daylight, moving flames and the confidence of someone who understood how to inhabit that environment. I had to follow those changes while preserving the life of her movement.
The triptych carries the energy of that evening. For a Dogpatch dining room or an expressive SoMa hospitality space, I would consider it where the sequence has enough room to unfold.
Five Years Apart: Waiting for the Right Connection
This is one of my favorite triptychs. It portrays two different women, and the photographs were taken five years apart.
Despite that distance in time, their gestures and balance allowed the three images to come together naturally. I feel strongly connected to the resulting sequence.
This is an essential part of how I work. An image can remain in my archive for years before its companion appears. When the relationship finally feels right, the photographs gain a shared energy that I could not have forced earlier.
Hands in Prayer: A Quiet Presence for San Francisco Wellness Spaces
The male photograph came first. I loved its presence and wanted to create a companion that would allow me to offer the 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 an individual feeling to it. I love the quiet strength of the result.
For a meditation room in Noe Valley, a yoga studio in the Mission District, or a private San Francisco wellness space, I would consider this pairing for its sense of centeredness.
Two Women, One Session: The Story Behind the Central Star
These three photographs were taken on the same day in Downtown Los Angeles. The women had never met before the session. One was a contortionist; the other was a yoga teacher. They also did the makeup that day.
Each brought a different understanding of movement and the body. Those differences became a source of creative possibility as we worked together.
I think the central star-like composition and the photographs on either side work incredibly well as a whole. For a San Francisco movement studio, this triptych carries a story of collaboration as well as a visual relationship between the poses.
The Architecture of Muscle: Gold, Light and Strength
I photographed these close-ups in my backyard. I was drawn to the model’s physical strength and to the way light revealed his muscles once he was painted in gold.
Working closely allowed me to explore the body through tension, curves and shadow. I find these photographs powerful and sensual, with a sculptural quality.
In a Dogpatch loft or a contemporary San Francisco interior, I would consider the relationship between these close-ups and the surrounding materials. A simple wall can give the forms enough space to hold their presence.
A Favorite Yogi: Balance and Upward Energy
This yogi is one of my favorite people to photograph. His understanding of his body allows us to explore demanding positions while maintaining a feeling of composure.
The central photograph, with the legs lifted high, creates an upward movement. The images on either side bring balance to the sequence. Together, I see a powerful relationship between discipline, control and release.
For a San Francisco yoga studio or home practice room, I would place this triptych where it can be experienced during moments of attention and stillness.
The Forgotten Lenses: A Human Story Behind a Finished Diptych
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 they required manual focus. I often repeated a photograph five times to make sure I captured a sharp frame.
Looking at the finished images, I remember the women’s patience and the concentration of that day. Their connection is what I wanted to preserve, and the extra effort became part of the story behind the photographs.
The Anonymous Yogi: Leaving Space for Your Interpretation
We never see the yogi’s face in these photographs. That gives them an openness: the figure could be anybody, allowing the viewer to connect directly with the position.
I love the strength of these kneeling poses. They suggest inward attention and the feeling of remaining grounded while becoming fully present.
For a quiet Richmond District home, a Noe Valley meditation room, or a San Francisco wellness studio, I would consider this sequence where its stillness can be appreciated without too many competing objects.
Butterflies and Color: A Joyful Direction for a Mission District Interior
The butterfly images required a great deal of work to create. I wanted the colors and butterflies to bring lightness around the golden figure while preserving the elegance of her silhouette.
I love their joyful energy. The body remains central, while the surrounding color introduces a playful, luminous atmosphere.
For an expressive Mission District living room or a San Francisco creative workspace, this pairing could bring a brighter rhythm. The blue background in the visualization suggests one possible conversation between the photographs and their surroundings.
Invictus: Photographing a Woman Who Really Fights
The woman in this diptych practices wrestling and sword fighting. She arrived at the studio with her own sword, which immediately interested me.
She had just had her dreadlocks done at the hairdresser before we painted her in gold. Her physical confidence and the sword belonged to her real life, giving the session a powerful authenticity.
I wanted to preserve that individuality. The photographs carry her determination and strength. For a San Francisco interior that calls for a bold human presence, this pairing has a distinctive character.
Presence and Absence: A Contemporary Pairing for SoMa
This final diptych 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 photographs against black. They feel contemporary, intriguing and powerful.
For a restrained SoMa apartment or a San Francisco interior with clean architectural lines, I would consider a wall where the pairing can be experienced without interruption. The space between the images is part of their relationship.
Choosing Diptychs and Triptychs for San Francisco Interiors
San Francisco’s architectural variety makes the setting an important part of the decision. SF Heritage works to preserve the city’s architectural and cultural identity, offering a useful local context for thinking about the spaces in which contemporary artwork will live.
My starting point would always be your connection to the photographs. Then consider the dimensions of the full arrangement, the viewing distance and the character of the room.
- Pacific Heights and Russian Hill homes: assess the usable wall between windows, doors and decorative details. Include the gaps between photographs when measuring the full composition.
- Noe Valley interiors: consider how the artwork will be experienced during daily life—from a sofa, a dining table or a quiet reading chair.
- SoMa and Dogpatch spaces: balance the scale of the work with the viewing distance. A large wall still needs an arrangement whose individual images can be read together.
- Richmond and Sunset District homes: observe the actual light on your intended wall throughout the day. Test both daylight and evening lighting before choosing placement and glazing.
- San Francisco hotels: choose the emotional tone for each setting. An entrance, a guest suite and a lounge may each call for a different kind of presence.
- Spas and yoga studios: consider how the sequence supports the experience of the room. Flowers, prayer gestures, dynamic movement and contemplative poses each offer a different atmosphere.
The interior images in this article are visualizations intended to suggest possible arrangements. Final dimensions, framing and placement should be selected for your actual space.
To develop your own eye, spending time with art in different settings can be valuable. The de Young museum offers another San Francisco setting for looking closely at artworks and their presentation. For local criticism and cultural reporting, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Arts & Entertainment coverage provides an editorial perspective on the city’s creative life.
Find a Personal Connection for Your San Francisco Space
Every pairing here holds a memory: a first golden portrait, an Italian singer surrounded by reflected roses, a dancer moving at sundown, or photographs that found their connection years apart.
My hope is that these stories help you discover work whose energy feels right in your surroundings. Whether you are choosing for a Pacific Heights home, a Dogpatch loft, a SoMa hospitality space or a San Francisco wellness studio, the most meaningful connection begins with what the photographs make you feel.
More art stories and inspiration for San Francisco
Door Zack Zublena