Wayne Zebzda

Nest 1

2010

Wayne Zebzda was born in Hartford Connecticut and started his journey out west attending the San Francisco Art Institute on a full scholarship as a painting major. With day jobs in construction, he also developed a facility with tools of a different trade, and eventually shifted to producing sculptural and installation works, as well as his carbon smoke drawings.

Wayne's work, then as now, is often centered on several key themes or conceptual strategies. He often makes serious or difficult ideas, more accessible (he has dealt with homelessness in some of his work). And he communicates a deep sense of delight in the face of the absurdities of life and loves to create art from the everyday objects we encounter (including the Cross Walk Man sign)

According to Wayne, the process for his Carbon Smoke drawings is as follows:
"I have to move continuously while the smoke pours out of the torch. If you have ever seen the film footage of Jackson Pollack painting it is a similar continuous movement, his with drips, mine with smoke and the added possibility of catching the drawing on fire. I enjoy the immediacy and physicality of drawing. The welding torch has the pressure turned down low which makes it sooty/smoky. Working back into the drawings with erasures and brushes reveals what's underneath and a clear fixative sets the soot in place (hopefully) and yes, I have burned the paper and will again."

Wayne currently lives and works on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. Wayne is committed to making art accessible to a wide audience, and has been involved in numerous Art in Public Places projects and commissions for the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture in the Arts. His work has been exhibit and collected throughout the US including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and in Hawaii.

Nest 1 is Carbon Smoke and Acrylic on Paper, framed. It is 14x14 framed to 16x16.