YHWH [and the Birds of Appetite]
For photographer Sebastian Ferruzo, the Western understanding of spirituality is a fascinating topic. In American society, where capitalism has generated enormous wealth disparities and social inequalities, his work connects with the people at the edge of that society. What keeps people going to look for meaning in life even when it’s dark and bleak around them?
Photography Sebastian Ferruzo
The title of this series comes from a Thomas Merton essay, where he is introducing Zen to a western audience. He uses the metaphor “birds of appetite” to allude to the western capitalist mindset that doesn’t allow people to understand spirituality that is nuanced and has any depth.
This project is a meditation on the omnipresent sense of dread that permeates modern American society as a result of the capitalistic forces that separate humans from nature; both external nature and the nature within ourselves.
It also looks at the way that in spite of this heaviness, we search for meaning and try to make sense of our lives amidst the darkness that those of us at the bottom of the totem pole feel.
“The time will come when they will sell you even your rain. At the moment, it is still free, and I am in it. I celebrate its gratuity and its meaninglessness.”
Thomas Merton
About Sebastian
Sebastian Ferruzo was born in Lima, Peru in 1996. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally with his family in his childhood. He grew up in an environment that held success in the material world as the only noble and worthy life objective, which led him to discover himself and the arts at a later age.
After barely graduating his senior year of high school, he spent his final teenage years running away from that world he grew up in. Traveling in cheap cars, trains and greyhound busses and engaging with the folks he found at the edges of society. They filled him with immense inspiration and optimism as they allowed him to see the beauty in the meaninglessness of life.
Sebastian has always felt like an outsider, though now his camera has given this feeling a sense of meaning, a permission to observe and contemplate. He is currently based in New York City where he lives a quiet life life with his wife and pets.
To see more of his work, visit his website or follow him on Instagram
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