Longing and Belongings
Orna Ben-Ami
March 29 - May 8, 2017
From March 29th through May 8th, 2017, Waterfall Mansion and Gallery will present the major solo exhibition of the acclaimed and renowned international artist, Orna Ben-Ami.
Israeli artist, Orna Ben-Ami, creates highly symbolic pieces originated from deeply personal meanings and shifted to universal subject of our lives. Orna Ben-Ami revisits the stories of her own life and other lives by sculpturing their belongings. She shines the lives with a longing for eternal memories. With Ben-Ami’s remarkable workmanship on the material, the solid iron yields to her hands and the welding becomes almost sewing. The sculptures made from matte-finish iron remind of a drawing in the space or soft sculptures. The simplified lines or background to highlight the essence of our lives offer enough imaginary space to invite the viewers to fill in their own memories. Her personal memory recalls collective memories and the collective memories of our history become a part of our own memory in a soft manner without imposing it. The various photographic prints juxtaposed with the sculpted belongings from the families to the refugees are a meaningful trigger. The viewers are able to reflect on the weight of their lives and evoke empathy towards each other’s lives in the era of global chaos.
Photos by ESSO Studio