Nir Hod and literary figure Salman Rushdie. All photos on site for Art Observed, at the opening by Samuel Sveen, studio by Jonathan Beer.

Nir Hod’s most recent body of work, titled Mother, opened last night at Paul Kasmin Gallery. The Israeli-born artist is known for creating work that is both strange and beautiful, sharing the sumptuousness found in glamour and fashion advertisements. This new series of paintings takes its inspiration from the widely discussed Holocaust photo “Boy from the Warsaw Ghetto.” History has mainly focused on unmasking the identity of the young boy, centered in the photo with his arms raised in surrender, leaving the matriarchal female figure to his immediate right largely unnoticed. In tribute Nir Hod has singled out the woman, depicting her repeatedly—ten times—in a variety of hues, in an effort to give her story new life. In a recent visit to the artist’s studio in Chelsea, Art Observed had the chance to discuss this new series with the artist.

(more…)

Artist Nir Hod, with a friend at the Opening of Genius

On May 19th Art Observed was on site for the opening of Israeli artist Nir Hod’s show “Genius” with depictions of  “precocious” children at Paul Kasmin Gallery. The series is rendered in classical portraiture style, and consists of paintings and sculptures of cartoon-like children partaking in adults-only behaviours: they smoke, are self-indulgent, and emote a specific type of narcissism that alludes not only to luxury and class, but perhaps also to the quickly-maturing teens of the current time.  After the jump is Stephanie Murg‘s interview with Nir about his work and the Paul Kasmin show.

Designer Marc Jacobs views the work at the opening

More text and images after the jump… (more…)