Amir Guberstein

Amir Guberstein uses sand—mixed with paint—as a political vehicle to explore concepts of prohibition and censorship; political and cultural borders; identity and memory; all linked to his upbringing in Israel. 

Over the course of many years, Guberstein researched independent monitoring agencies in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, which led to different bodies of work that transformed maps and texts into abstract, monochromatic works. During this period, Guberstein aimed to create flows of light and shadows within his compositions, mixing particles of sand that he brought from Israel and the West Bank into the paint as a tribute to the histories of both territories.

Upon further contemplation, Guberstein continued to develop his abstract style by introducing gestural marks and brushstrokes with the use of color. “I would look at these large scale monotypes and started imagining eruptions of color,” he explains. “All the black and white structures on the surface looked to me all of the sudden like cracks and crevices that had to be either filled or densed through and around and so I picked up some oil pastels and pigments oil bars, I put on gloves and I started overworking surfaces almost like a sculptor would form shapes out of clay.” The resulting vibrant compositions speak of the constant tension that arises from geopolitical movements—or lack thereof—in modern times.

Referencing Biblical texts, such as The Book of Lamentations, Wisdom of Solomon, and Song of Songs, Guberstein aims to highlight his Jewish heritage and manifest faith as a cohesive element of human relations.

Amir Guberstein (b. 1985, Ra’anana, Israel) lives and works in New York City. He holds an MFA and BFA from the University of the Arts, Berlin (UdK). His work will be included in the upcoming  exhibition The Sea Beneath Our Eyes at KMAC Museum, Kentucky, opening November 2020. Recent exhibitions include Fierman Gallery, New York; SAMUEL Gallery, Chicago; New Art Projects, London; Caves Art Center, Taipei.

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