Thursday, Feb 26 – Tuesday, Apr 14, 2026
Artist Presentation and Opening Reception: Tuesday, Mar 3, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Fine Arts Center V121 Gallery
Bio
Zeke Trainum is a sculptor, fine woodworker, and metal worker who enjoys working with stone and other natural materials for his pieces. He lives with his wife and four children in Harrisonburg, VA and has been actively sculpting and showing his works for the last 23 years. Zeke particularly loves rock hunting everywhere with his children in search of the next beautiful river stone to incorporate into his work.
Zeke is always striving to find new ways to highlight the natural beauty of the materials; shaping wood, fabricating steel, cutting and polishing river stones, and transforming found objects into organic forms. His love of nature began in his formative years, growing up in Papua New Guinea where he spent his days at the river, collecting natural treasures. He also gleaned an interest for working with natural materials when viewing the work of the local PNG artisans which included masks, spear heads, woven grass cloths, and wood carved scenes. His desire to create art culminated in a degree in sculpture which set him on the path to finding his own style which is constantly evolving with each new material that inspires him. His sculptures are meant to be touched and experienced by the viewer, inspiring reflection, comfort, and memory of childhood times spent in nature.
Artist Statement
My love for rock hunting is strong. Like most kids, I collected rocks and other ‘treasures’ wherever I went. The thing is, I just never stopped. I recently got the opportunity to travel a few times, and on one of these trips I actually packed 28 pounds of rocks home in my carry on.
Additionally, quite a bit of my firewood never makes it to the fire, as it is deemed too cool to burn. Then I have to find something to do with it. Simple, natural objects meant to be disposable have found their fairy godmother in me. However, instead of transforming them, I simply need to highlight the uniqueness that first caught my eye.
Carrying rocks, weighing down my pockets, gives me a sense of carrying ‘home’ with me, wherever I go. These displaced rocks are now in need of re homing. I have created abodes, usually with firewood, for these rocks to continue their eons-long journeys through space and time.
