Douglas Zaruba

About the Artist

Douglas Zaruba was born in Buffalo. NY in 1949 and studied Fine Art, Architecture, Poetry, and Physics at the State University of New York at Buffalo. In the mid-70’s, he shared studio space at the Essex Street Studios in Buffalo along with other young artists, including Duayne Hatchett, Robert Longo and Cindy Sherman. After an initial success as a painter, he abandoned painting to become a nationally-recognized jewelry designer and master goldsmith. In 2005, he left the US to live on a remote Caribbean island off the coast of Panama, where he began to paint again and create sculpture. Upon returning to the US in 2010, he pursued both fine art and fine jewelry design.

Artist's Statement

“The Purpose Of Art Is Not To Communicate With The Audience. The Purpose Of Art Is To Still And Quiet The Mind And Make It Receptive To Divine Influences” John Cage This quote had a profound impact on my work as an artist. I see my work as creating Spiritual Landscapes, portals that can transport the viewer from ordinary to non-ordinary realities. They serve as points of departure, doorways opening into the collective unconsciousness. The “art” presented is not the object being viewed but in what the viewer experiences when viewing the object. When you think of a Himalayan singing bowl, you naturally recall the sound, not the bowl. The sound experienced transcends the form of the bowl itself. Like a Zen koan, both paintings and sculptures are meant to constantly challenge the viewer and allow the unconscious to present new images and ideas. They become an unsolved riddle. It is impossible for me to explain my art. My art is about the Mystery...how could I ever explain it or understand it? I embrace the power of space rather than form, trying to paint the vast power and intelligence of stillness.