PYRAMIDA center for contemporary art

Sara Kahana
Paintings – "Holding"
In 1917, Herwarth Walden provided a concise definition for Expressionist art, remarking that it was not an "exterior" impression but rather an "expression" whose source was on the "interior." Walden's definition may well be used to refer to the spirit that pervades Sara Kahana's paintings, and which is characterized by the desire to give expression to the process of self examination.

Sara Kahana's works have grown out of the tradition of modern expressionism in the style of Edvard Munch, of Haim Soutine and of the women painted by de Kooning. Her works may also be associated with the naïve imagery and formal traits of Jean Dubuffet's work; with the examination of female beauty in the work of Marlene Dumas; and with the sensual, organic forms of Pinchas Zinovich .Kahana's works continue to evolve into a profound form of painterly expression, whose contents and form are both refreshing and powerful. The paintings that were created during the years 2004–2007 are being exhibited, for the first time, in this solo exhibition.

Kahana creates female figures that cling to the reality revealed to them as they gaze at their own reflections. At times this reality is imposed upon the female figure, and at times she is the one who controls it. The potential embedded in facing one's own reflection enables the artist to raise and shake the figures; to dig into their bodies; to knead them into a thick paste or to melt them; to undo their balance, and to challenge it with points of support that are related to different states of consciousness. The formal elements in these paintings create a rich and intense experience – while the precise and energetic lines, figurative distortion, variegated materiality and use of bright, sometimes even garish colors point to a virtuosic ability to represent the figures and what they attempt to express.

-- Shirley Meshulam, Curator

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