WESTPORT–The Westport Arts Advisory Committee is dedicating a new public sculpture by Marc Zaref at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 13 at the Eloise A. Ray Park.

Zaref’s “Enso: The Magic of Every Moment” was originally installed at Canyon Ranch, Lenox, MA, as part of a four-piece work entitled “Ensos: Moments in my Journey.”

Zaref’s work has been in many group shows across Westport. His work ”Cascade” was featured in a solo exhibition at the Westport Library. 

Zaref describes his work in an email:

“As a multidisciplinary artist with an insatiable curiosity and a wide range of skills, I work in both two and three dimensions, often simultaneously. From works on paper to playful assemblages of forged and welded steel, it is natural for me to use an extensive palette of methods and materials.

“The exploration of the circular Zen form “Enso” includes a body of work from drawings through steel sculptures. ‘Enso: The Magic of Every Moment’ is a piece where essential elements were taken from a calligraphic drawing and interpreted in steel. 

“In the Zen school of Buddhism, enso is a circle made with one movement of a brush using ink on paper. The strength of the line, its splashes, incompleteness, and seamless flow are filled with subtle, yet complex nuances. Each example reflects the uniqueness of the creator and the moment in time it is expressed. The artist’s mind is revealed along with their acceptance of imperfection.

“My initial explorations of making ensos came during a visit to Kyoto, Japan. There, I witnessed a monk creating scrolls – masterpieces of calligraphic forms.  As a “warm-up,” the artist began making ensos and then writing alongside in Kanji, his expression of the moment.

“From ink on paper, my enso making expanded into other mediums. As I became comfortable with the processes of forging, shaping, and welding steel, I began to translate the expression and concepts of enso in both preparing elements and assembling its form.”

Nancy Diamond, co-chair, Westport Arts Advisory Committee, said the WAAC began its “sculpture loan” program in 2024” with the installation of Niki Ketchman’s Passages in Pasacreta Park. 

According to Diamond, with support from the Town and the Parks and Recreation Commission, Advisory Committee and Department, the WAAC has “been able to install two other sculptures in 2025; Marc’s will be the third. Each piece is on loan to Westport for 5 years; artists receive an annual honorarium for ‘lending’ us their work. Additionally, Westport’s poet laureate creates a dedicated poem for the sculptures.”

All can be seen on WAAC’s website.  

Westport Arts Advisory Committee

Dedication of Marc Zaref’s “Enso: The Magic of Every Moment” 
5 p.m. Wednesday, August 13 

Eloise A. Ray Park
Corner Riverside Avenue and Lincoln Street