In his oil paintings, Derek Zwyer (b. 1992) engages with abstraction and representation in variable ways, conveying the interplay of self, environment, and interpretation through textured surfaces and layered hues. Executed with idiosyncratic attention to detail, the artist’s compositions treat the human experience as another world to explore among many.

Zwyer was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. He received a BA in Philosophy from Tulane University, New Orleans, in 2014, and a Masters in Social Work from Tulane in 2016. He works as a clinical social worker in Vermont while maintaining a committed artistic practice. His work has been included in group exhibitions at SEABA, Spiral House, Plex Arts Festival, Green Door Studio, Devil Takes a Holiday, Hidden Pearl, and several private venues throughout the state.

Zwyer is member of the Spiral House Arts Collective in Burlington VT, and has curated group shows with other artists, including ‘Mutual Perceptions’ in 2024. He was awarded an Artist Development Grant by Vermont Arts Council in 2024-2025, and his work has been featured in publications including Seven Days. 

In addition to abstract compositions, Zwyer has a political series of works. Both his abstract and representative pieces comprise a larger artistic project referred to as induction, a method of artistic decision making that emphasizes inducing principles in art work.