Lenore is a conceptual artist who uses her Syrian heritage as a lens through which to examine cultural shift and change. Her work fuses awareness of one’s roots with critical thinking about contemporary life; acknowledging heritage while considering its meaning in the present day. She explores these ideas in her works using Arabic calligraphy as a starting point for conceptual works that include sculpture, collage, weaving, and 2-d elements.
She received her BA in art from Brooklyn College and has worked as an artist and producer since 2009. An internationally exhibited, published and collected artist, Lenore’s work has been displayed in solo and group shows in the US, Italy, Amsterdam, Canada and Israel. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three children.
Recent projects focus on forced migration, cultural erosion, and connecting to one’s roots through language and art. Lenore scripts and cuts Arabic calligraphy, juxtaposing it with photography to create an imagined collective memory bank from which to draw conclusions about migration’s cultural effects. Another series uses the book of Koheleth (Ecclesiastes) as a lens through which to view contemporary society’s values and how they distract our attention from true meaningfulness. Her ongoing work Worry Flowers uses sculpted Arabic calligraphy to examine how people self-identify with their internal struggles.
The common thread that runs through all of Lenore’s work is re-evaluation — of self, society, priorities, and assumptions. She aims to continually renew her perceptions and attitudes toward the world around her, to find her place within it, and to create work which encourages others to do the same.
Instagram: @LenoreCohen
Twitter: @That ArtistGirl
Facebook.com/Lenmiz
Email Lenore@LenoreCohen.com