New Work by John Zabawa

Artist Statement: In this new body of work, John Zabawa turns to water as one of humanity’s most enduring symbols — revered across millennia and cultures as both life-giving force and sacred material. From the Nile’s Hapi to Hinduism’s Ganga, from West African Oshun to the Ojibwe water ceremonies, civilizations have honored water through ritual, offering and art. Zabawa’s paintings draw from this rich lineage while carving out distinctly personal territory: these are not the manicured garden ponds of Impressionist estates, but rather, wild, prehistoric water bodies — untamed and unseen, interpretations of the Midwestern landscapes of his childhood.

Working with a restrained palette of blacks, sparse greens, yellows, and browns, Zabawa creates water from darkness, unveiling depths that invite contemplation. Influenced by land artist Andy Goldsworthy and the philosophical lens of Zen poetry — where “nature’s outward expression reveals inner knowing” — these murky, beautifully chaotic ponds become mirrors for the viewer’s own memories and relationship to water. In each work, Zabawa offers a space for reflection, reminding us that water, which binds us all together, has the capacity to reveal our individual sense of place and purpose.