Israeli artist Ruth Kestenbaum Ben-Dov has a solo exhibition at the Umm el-Fahem Museum of Art. Her work will be on view until April 1st, 2025.
Land of Painting is part of the first cluster of exhibitions since the gallery in Umm el-Fahem was recognized as a museum. An extensive catalogue accompanies the exhibition, with articles by exhibition curator Yaniv Shapira and biblical scholar Diana Lipton, a foreword by Said Abu Shakra, and a text by the artist.
Amid the myriad of voices, artistic languages and references to landscape in Israeli painting, Kestenbaum Ben-Dov’s work marks a unique pathway, rooted in a personal and psychological journey. Her painterly movement oscillates between two modes of observation – inward and outward, between nature’s vitality and inner questions. – Yaniv Shapira, from the exhibition text and catalogue
Landscape seems to have always permeated the work of Kestenbaum Ben-Dov. Her continued investigation of it, alongside the biographical and artistic contexts she weaves into it, has been evident in earlier series such as The Same Landscape (2000-2013), Prayer Rugs (2003-2005), and Studio Dreams (2015-2018). In each of these series, she explored questions of personal identity, connection to place, and relationship to others.
The series Small Landscapes continues her long-standing practice of painting from direct observation of the landscape, which requires a particular type of attentiveness, in an attempt to capture a fleeting moment in time. The pulsating vitality of nature and its shifting light are transformed in this series into a sense of wonder at the rocky terrain, the tangle of bushes and trees, and the movement of clouds, depicted as an array of spots, lines, and dots. These landscapes are mostly observed from the balcony of her studio, looking north, as well as from other vantage points; capturing both close-up fragments of landscape and distant panoramas. They are typically painted at times when the light is softer—early morning or just before sunset—but also at various times of day. Many of the works were created in a uniform format, forming a kind of “series within a series.”
These small landscapes, produced alongside her studio work, enable Kestenbaum Ben-Dov to focus her thoughts on other types of works, in which the landscape becomes part of a more complex and contemplative creative process.
The museum focuses on Israeli–Arab artwork and is said to be the meeting place for Israeli and Arab artists.
Haifa St, Umm al-Fahm, Israel
Ruth’s website: www.ruthkben-dov.com
