EINU SINNI VAR (ONCE UPON A TIME - ICELANDIC)

Artist: Richard Zazulak

Medium: Oil on linen

22" x 33"

Richard Zazulak is a native Hamiltonian, now living in Dundas. After graduating from Central Secondary School in Hamilton in 1964, he attended the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD) graduating in 1968 with a diploma in Advertising Design. 

All his employment experience has been in Hamilton. After a short duration working in the community, he started a career at McMaster University where he spent 28 years until retirement in 1998. Upon retirement to present, he has continued his career as a private consultant in graphic design, illustration, and photography.  

The inspiration for Einu Sinni Var comes again from a trip to Iceland where we encountered endless examples of abandoned buildings in the countryside carrying a wealth of unknown stories of their existence. These buildings, like the drydocked ships in Iceland, evoke in me a deep curiosity about the stories that lie within their walls. These physical structures are suited to a painting technique that I have been developing based on my graphic art and photography background and through experimentation. The deteriorating shell of this building lends itself to my approach of fragmenting the surfaces of the structure and surrounding landscape. 

Artist’s Statement  
My life’s journey continues to be experienced through relationships, physical activity, and creative aspirations. I live vicariously, whether through family and friends and/or colleagues, painting or through the lens of a camera. 

The process of drawing, painting and photography evokes curiosity, a sense of challenge, exploration, and identity. 

Painting has become a turning point in my life, an emotional and intuitive process. This journey has an infinite destination. 

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