A selection of images from photographer Sebastian Ferruzo’s ongoing project “YHWH, and the Birds of Appetite.” The title of the series is a reference to a Thomas Merton essay about how to understand and achieve Zen. A “bird of appetite” is a bird of prey who lives in a scarcity mindset, always on the hunt for the next thing to kill. Much like the widely accepted Western capitalist mindset that teaches us to always be hungry for more and never satisfied with what we have, Merton argues that Zen cannot be understood in this state since Zen is not about gaining or achieving anything. With this in mind, Ferruzo’s approach to photography is a sort of practice in letting go. As he explains:

“All of the photographs in this series are moments that I came upon by pure chance. As I go out and engage with the world, potential photographs seem to present themselves to me. Each of these moments serves as a reminder that the more I disengage from my mind, the richer my life becomes.”

See more images from “YHWH, and the Birds of Appetite” below!