Keren used to describe one her favorite places in the world to me, Mt Sinai. Her tender descriptions communicated a deep love of the environment which I always found hard to imagine. At the time we were city dwellers, painting in studios that were embedded deep in the urban jungle of Chelsea - New York City. Our lives were for the most part lived in shadows, with no clear horizon. New York City can be like a giant fish tank. We never left the city together the entire time we shared it. Paz has been living in Israel for almost 10 years now and over this time I have seen the environment and landscape creep back into her art. The passionate spoken descriptions of Mt Sinai have translated into delicately handled paintings that are labored with love. The transition has been slow and subtle but it there is no denying it now. Despite the tender beauty of the new work, there is a barren, brooding mood inherent in each painting. The tones of color imply an impending storm rising from the stillness. Whether it is intentional or not, Keren's art is charged with political and social statements about living on the edge in a region burdened with conflict and war. The tranquility in the painting seems temporary, an illusion of peace with a prevailing threat forever lurking on the horizon. In the stillness though there is hope, a love of the moment and a will to find beauty and humanity regardless of the struggle or impending chaos. The work is a beautiful and true reflection of the artist and her thoughts, the environments reflecting her passions, fears, hopes and dreams.  

Written by