Aliza Nisenbaum: New Paintings and Drawings

May 4 - June 28, 2024

Overview

Anton Kern Gallery presents four recent small-scale paintings and four watercolors by Aliza Nisenbaum, all of which depict familiar subjects in intimate moments of repose. This selection of work deviates from her current exhibition at the Metropolitan Opera House and recent survey at The Queens Museum, both of which featured large-scale mural-like tableaus and extensive time spent getting to know her sitters and researching their communities. Here, the artist returns to the studio, focusing on her immediate relationships—her sister, members of the gallery’s circle, and her personal archive of people already painted. Scaling down and looking inward, Nisenbaum examines those close to her during their moments of rest and contemplation, using this observation as a mirror for her own self-reflection in the interstitial moments within her studio:

Xanthe descends a wrought iron staircase toward the beach.

Vero is shown in the quietude of the morning, preparing coffee for a recent date with the artist.

Nora lies with her eyes closed, pink stripes surround her.

Susan, Aarti, Keerthana and Princess, and Karin and friends, are seen relaxing, reading and working on a puzzle.

Isabel takes a break from working on her undergrad thesis to lie under a table while her green tea cools.

Paige is seen away from the office, donning a blue hat in one portrait, and a straw hat in another.

Twins Bella and Alexandra are captured mid-embrace at a recent opening afterparty.

List of Works

Installation Views