In Est et non est, Paweł Żak presents an artistic vision of heaven that transcends its everyday perception as merely the sky above. This poetic photobook is built around a conceptual approach to heaven, embracing its dual meaning as both a boundless physical expanse and a metaphysical realm traditionally associated with the divine.
Drawing on memories of childhood wonder – naïve attempts to reach heaven with snowballs or to glimpse God by looking upward – the artist contrasts those early imaginings with his present-day gaze. The book becomes a meditation on how belief, longing and uncertainty shape our understanding of what lies beyond.
While photography is often seen as a mirror of reality, the artist disrupts this assumption through deliberate, material interventions in his images. These subtle distortions question not only the nature of the photographed subject but also the very act of seeing, turning each image into a tactile fragment of memory and doubt.
In Est et non est, heaven is no longer a distant place but an internal experience, fleetingly accessible and always elusive. Żak’s work offers a deeply personal yet universal reflection on the fragility of perception and the power of images to both reveal and obscure what we hope to find.
