About

John P. Zilewicz is a Chicago-based artist whose mixed media abstract paintings investigate the expressive potential of line, color, and surface. Through spontaneous mark-making, layered transparencies, and gestural rhythms, his work explores the tension between structure and improvisation. Repetitive and overlapping marks activate the picture plane, creating visual experiences that feel both chaotic and deeply intentional.

Built through successive layers of transparent and opaque paint, Zilewicz's paintings develop rich surfaces that suggest erosion, memory, and the passage of time. Organic forms emerge and dissolve within atmospheric fields of color, inviting viewers to navigate spaces that feel simultaneously familiar and unknown.

Working from his home studio in Lemont, Illinois, Zilewicz holds a Master of Arts in Drawing and Painting and a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Art Education. His work has been exhibited throughout the Chicagoland region and is held in private collections across the United States.

In addition to his studio practice, Zilewicz is an award-winning visual art educator with more than twenty-seven years of teaching experience. He currently teaches at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, and serves as Co-Creator and Executive Director of ArtConnectED, producers of the Illinois High School Art Exhibition.

Contact: jzilewiczart@gmail.com
@jzilewiczart