I had two exhibitions planned for 2022. COVID-19 appeared to be under control, and people appeared to be eager to attend events. My mother sadly died in February, and during her funeral, an incident with an elderly guy, Maurice Kahn, occurred. Maurice Kahn, a retired art professor from the University of Jerusalem, a friend of my father's from their university days in South Africa, wanted to scatter his late wife's ashes alongside my mother's, a tribute to their longstanding friendship.
Maurice had relocated to Cyprus from Jerusalem following the death of his wife. After my mother died, he became a key presence in my life. Following my May exhibition "Reconstruction of Our Moral Values," I sought Maurice's guidance for my next project, "Metamorphosis 2," which was based on shattered glass negative plates.
With his broad art knowledge, Maurice helped me to disconnect from the historical background and concentrate on balanced compositions. This mentorship had a significant impact on my paintings, introducing pointillism and abstracting references and ushering in a new chapter in my artistic path.
Maurice Kahn in 2022
In 2021, I had already begun experimenting with collection creation thanks to the NFT technology. For example, I observed patterns of vanishing faces on one scanned image of two independent glass negative plates stuck together, which original image I had already displayed in my first exhibition back in 2019. One of the plates clearly depicts a group of friends standing for an event in the early twentieth century. Their figures could not be seen clearly due to the state in which the plates were discovered.
The almost-vanishing images excite me; the entire project "Metamorphosis" is based on them, and even the archive was discovered on its vanishing steps. Recovering souls from the brink of extinction and translating them into contemporary digital art is a fascinating experience worth investigating.
I was astounded by what I discovered when I began isolating and expanding each portrait. All of them had distinctive distractions and distinct physical remains; we must remember the other plate's image and how the two integrate with each other.
Slowly, slowly, I modified the first image, then the second, and three years later, I was finally able to "rescue" all 40 of them. "Almost Vanished Friends" was the name given to the collection.
Almost Vanished Friends
Under the mentorship of Maurice Kahn during this period, the art produced from the glass plates began to truly resonate. I embarked on a new journey, setting aside historical constraints and sentimental ties to the images — some of which may depict relatives — and focused solely on composition.
A new collection has emerged, titled 'Strangers Forever'. This collection focuses on the intricate details at the point where two plates collide, uniting two random characters or more, and providing a vast canvas for creativity. It is an ongoing series, divided into sections, each featuring 10 artworks.
Strangers Forever
Metamorphosis 1/1
By rejecting the limitations of traditional categorization, these pieces of art emerge as testaments to uniqueness. They are the lone travelers, celebrating their uniqueness and resisting any appearance of similarity.
