An exhibition created by sculptor Laura Pinhas is opening at the Tribal Art Gallery in Tel Aviv. The works on display seamlessly connect to the purpose of the gallery, which is curated by Galia Duchin-Ariel, and accord with the premise that rooted, tribal and traditional art are essential for the preservation and expression of fundamentals as a counterweight to the current modernist movement that is seeking to break familiar boundaries. The exhibits, created by Laura Pinhas in Israel and inspired by the time she spent with her family in Congo, document a world distant from us in essence, identity, and social and human culture. In her works, the artist presents us with a reflection seen through a different and unfamiliar mirror, one that brings us closer to the forgotten worlds of cultural values that have survived progress in places where these same worlds and values once had their place and garnered respect.
Her relationship with the men and women of Congo connected her with a primal authenticity unsaturated by any kind of hyper-technological atmosphere and untainted by the alienation of a competitive environment. The simplicity and splendor of local attire organically connected with the people's behavior and their treatment of each other. The tight-knit nature of local families led her to translate that ethos with sculptural admiration and in her own language. The works are an expression of a visual experience of everyday life and compliment the images she chose to sculpt. The height of the images makes them appear to be elevated. The robes with which Ms. Pinhas has wrapped the figures speak of an abstract splendor that bypasses naturalism and the images, and clearly demonstrate the artist's admiration of their human quality, which is not to be taken for granted.
The sculptures reflect an inner, hidden beauty. They do not betray the personality and distinction of the original models – most of the faces are intentionally featureless. The experience of observing them is distant and uninvolved, creating the feeling of encountering an unattainable moment that belongs only to the images of those the artist had herself met, cherished, and documented in her sculptures, capturing the moment of their experience for eternity.
The works are a physical documentation of a human landscape that belongs only to the people of Congo. Laura Pinhas has encoded the visceral experiences of her local encounters into the sculptures with a love and sensitivity perpetually captured in matter. The essence of the finesse and togetherness inherent in the works organically connects with the gallery's permanent sculpture exhibitions. They are a testament to the fact that the heart of a nearly forgotten world still beats in a continent once conquered by 'the white man' and than freed from subjugation to regain the right to establish again its own identity and the traditions that are its soul
Exhibition Curators: Shelly Rashkes and Nilly Witztum
Public Relations: Michal Sadan Photography: Ran Erda
Interviewed and Edited: Yoel Emet – Member of the Association of Journalists
– the Academic Sector.
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