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Biography
For over ten years, Jac Lahav has nurtured their artistic community via artist projects, salons, and curating shows. As a result, community, and the concept of personal versus public histories manifest as themes in Lahav's paintings, installations, and sculpture. Therefore, it seemed only natural that in 2019 Lahav expanded their community-oriented journey and became a foster parent. Welcome to the Jungle explores this journey using plant forms and cosmic abstracts to better understand alternative forms of parenting, nurturing, and growth. In a rich blue space reminiscent of Jac Lahav's Mediterranean childhood home, the artist tells a story of a parental gardener tending an unruly jungle, a placeholder for their recent experience as a foster parent.
The deep blue forms permeating this exhibition reference Lahav's birthplace of Jerusalem, Israel, and act as an homage to the artist's familial memory. As such, Lahav states, "I have spent my career exploring what it means to belong, both in the public and private arenas." This desire for understanding and want for a larger family and community led to the artist and their wife starting a family of their own. However, like so many of their generation, this was a journey met with the struggles of infertility.
They were able to bring a biological child into the world but ultimately knew they wanted to nurture more children and thus began a journey into the foster care system. Lahav's attempt to process the hardships of parenthood plays a large role in this complex body of work.
Lahav's plant forms reflect memory, growth, propagation, and adversity. The pervasive vines represent the common Pothos, a jungle vine, that survives in many domestic conditions but in its native environment thrives to become a towering plant. Its name is derived from a Greek god of love, but a similar word Pathos means to learn from experience, especially that of hardship. Lahav says "Finding moments of joy in adversity is a constant struggle, life as a foster parent is a constant attempt to do "good enough" while understanding that life is ephemeral, subject to hardship and change."
The figurative work within the show speaks to Lahav's accomplished portraiture, namely their celebrated series exploring group identity, 48 Jews, The Great Americans. Here Lahav highlights animal portraits, signaling the concept of alloparenting, a common practice in the animal world where species, such as the Black Backed Jackal, takes care of offspring that are not biologically theirs.
Lahav's inclusion of abstract painting creates a macro-cosmic view of their emotional processing, divided by simple golden lines that reference their study of Kintsugi Pottery (the Japanese art of repairing broken vessels with gold). Zooming in upon these abstracted maps one can imagine finding a verdant jungle populated by plants, animals, and an artist caretaker nurturing a chaotic physical and emotional growth. It is also not lost on the artist that the idea behind Kintsugi is to treat breakage, and in turn repair, as part of the object and not something to cover up, a direct reference to the artist's own familial trauma and journey.
Through realism and abstraction, Welcome to the Jungle questions internal and external identity with faux plants, animal portraiture and abstract maps meditating on Lahav's exploration of what it means to nurture others. Their work layers history in both concept and paint, the narratives Lahav tells blur the lines of fact and fiction while remaining cloaked in blue nostalgia and the sentimental.
Abshalom Jac Lahav was born in Jerusalem, Israel and currently lives in Lyme, Connecticut. They graduated with an MFA from Brooklyn College and have been awarded many solo museum exhibitions. Lahav has an upcoming show in 2023 at the Slater Museum in Connecticut and a recent exhibition of The Great Americans at Connecticut's Florence Griswold Museum in 2019 where they also received a grant from the Connecticut Humanities Association. Their work can be found in multiple public collections throughout the US including the Jewish Museum, NY; Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme CT; Longview Museum of Fine Art, Longview, TX,, Jewish Museum, Milwaukee, WI, and Saginaw Art Museum, Saginaw MI, to name a few.
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CV
Download Lahav CVABSHALOM JAC LAHAV
Born Jerusalem, Israel
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and Lyme, CTEDUCATION
MFA, Brooklyn College (CUNY), NYCooper Union, New York, NY BA, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
2023
Sugarlift Gallery, New York, NY
Slater Art Museum, Norwich, CT
Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, CT
SpringBreak Art Show, Welcome to the Jungle, with NAVA Contemporary, New York, NY
SpringBreak Art Show, Record Paintings, curated by Michele Jaslow, New York, NY
2021
EarthTone Alchemies, NAVA Contemporary, New York, NY (online)
2019
The Great Americans, Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme, CT
*Awarded a grant from Connecticut Humanities (state affiliate of National Endowment for the Humanities)
2018
The Great Americans, Longview Museum of Fine Art, Longview, TX
Survey Show, Saginaw Museum of Art, Saginaw MI
Recognition, 326 Gallery, New York, NY
2014
Koslowe Gallery, Westchester, NY
2011
The Great Americans, Richmond Art Museum, Richmond, IN
2010
48 Jews, Jewish Museum of Florida, Miami, FL
2009
48 Jews, Oregon Jewish Museum, Portland, OR
48 Jews: Selections from the Series, Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin, Germany
The Great Americans, Gallery 532 Thomas Jaeckel, New York, NY
Boundless, Gallery 532 Thomas Jaeckel, New York, NY
2007
48 Jews and 18 Anne Franks, Esther Prangley Rice Gallery, McDaniel College, Westminster, MDSELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
Kids, curated by Ben Sisto, RISD Art Museum, Providence, RI
Meshuganah, A Very Serious Gallery, Chicago, IL
2023
Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse, Jewish Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Artist Books, Bravin Lee, New York, NY
SpringBreak Art Show, Surprise Show, New York, NY
Saffron Thief (redux), Gotham West, New York, NY
Greater Gravity, Ice Cream Social, Portchester, NY
2022
Bushel Collective, New York, NY
MeantimeCo, Brooklyn, NY
Los Caprichos: Inspired by Goya, CAMP Gallery, Westport, CT
Pulling At Threads, MOCA Westport, Westport, CT
Entanglement, Bravin Lee, New York, NY
Floral Flora: Plant Based Art, Affective Care, New York, NY
2021
Year of Uncertainty: Flushing Creak Walk, curated by Sto Len, Queens Museum, Queens, NY
Scenes from the Permanent Collection: 2019-2021, Jewish Museum, New York, NY
If Tomorrow Comes, Bravin Lee, New York, NY
Porous Modes, curated by Marine Cornuet, Field Projects, New York, NY
Group show, curated by Ethan Cohen and Ysabel Pinyol Blast, Monira + KuBe Art Space, Beacon, NY
Getting Here, curated by Eileen Jen Lynch, LES NYC, New York, NY
Chromatic Vigils, Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY
Social & Solitary, Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme, CT
Seasonal Repression, Field Projects, New York, NY
Shop, Black Ball Projects
2020
RBG/Justice in Momoriam, Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, CT
Art Off-Screen, curated by Eileen Jeng Lynchve, Cooley Gallery, Lyme, CT
SpringBreak Art Show, Diet Coke, New York, NY
2019
Instagram Artists Under 800, Bravin Lee Projects, New York, NY
Ho Hum All Ye Faithful, Bravin Lee Projects, New York, NYSelf Portrait, 601Artspace, New York, NYHarriet Salmon and Jac Lahav - Two Person Show, SK ART, New York, NYHoliday Show, Cooley Gallery, Lyme, CT
2018
Sun Worship and Solar Machines, curated by Max Razdow and Kari Adelaid, Fort Point Arts Community Assemblage, Boston, MA
Holiday Show, Cooley Gallery, Lyme, CT
2016
Debate Party, Gavin Brown's Enterprise, curated by Jonathan Horowitz, New York, NYFood Drawings, Governors Island Art Fair, New York, NYThe Sound Behind You II, curated by Rachel Rampleman and Vanessa Albury, The Frank Institute @ CR10, Linlithgo, NYChashama, 1 World Trade, New York, NYPeople Places Things, 326 Gallery, New York, NYWinter, Jaeckel Gallery, New York, NY
2015
Lesser Deities of the Summer, curated by Max Razdow and Kari Adelaid, Underdonk Gallery, New York, NYRetrospective, curated by Nick Weist, Shandaken Project, NY
2013
Dorsky Museum of Art, curated by Daniel Belasco, New Paltz, NY
2009
RoCoCoPop, Dean Projects, Long Island City, NY
2008
NYCAMS, curated by Archie Rand, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY
Art, Image and Warhol Connections, co-curated by Daniel Belasco & Joanna Montoya, Jewish Museum, New York, NY
2007
Neo-Integrity, curated by Keith Mayerson, Derek Eller Gallery, New York, NYCURATORIAL
2022-2016
Ongoing Exhibitions at The 42 Social Club, Lyme, CT
2022
Floral Flora: Plant-Based Art, Affective Care
2021
Spring/Break Art Show, America's Dressing Room, New York, NY
2020
Instagram's Shadow, Virtual Show/Visual Essay
Spring/Break Art Show, DIET COKE, New York, NY
2019
Spring/Break Art Show, David B. Smith, New York, NY
2018
Spring/Break Art Show, Kumasi J Barnett, New York, NY
2017
Spring/Break Art Show, Who Let Who Let The Dogs Out Out, New York, NY
2016
Spring/Break Art Show, Midnight Society Presents, NY NY
2015
The Sound Behind You, CatSkills, NY
2014
Spring/Break Art Show, Trash4Gold, New York, NYAWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS AND RESIDENCIES
2023
Community Foundation South Eastern CT, Blue Seeds at Lyman Allyn Museum CT (FosterCareAdvocacyExhibition)
Norwich ARPA Grant For Arts and Culture, The Great Americans at The Slater Museum CT
2022
Community Foundation Eastern CT, (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education)
2021
CT Humanities Quick Grant (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education)
CT Humanities Operational Grant (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education)
Kitchings Foundation, CT (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education)
Community Foundation Eastern CT, (for Public Art For Racial Justice Education)
2018
Connecticut Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities Grant, Middletown,CT, (for painting)
2007
Graduate Fellowship, BrooklynCollege, CUNY, NY
GIP Travel Grant, Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY
GIP Research Grant, Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY
2006
Graduate Fellowship, Brooklyn College, CUNY, NY
GIP Research Grant, BrooklynCollege, CUNY, NY
Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, Residency, Nebraska City, NE
Vermont Studio Center, Residency, Johnson, VT
2005
92nd St Y, Makor/SteinHardt Center, Residency, NewYork, NY
2004
I-Park (Artist Enclave), Residency, East Haddam, CTPUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Jewish Museum, New York, NY
Jewish Museum of Florida, Miami, FL
Jewish Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Slater Art Museum, Norwich, CT
Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, MA
Longview Museum of Fine Art, Longview, TX
Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
Saginaw Art Museum, Saginaw, MI
Richmond Art Museum, Richmond, INART WRITING
2023
6th Dimension & Afrofuturism, CT Examiner
Sara Jimenez at Rachel Uffner Gallery, Artspiel
Bruce Museum Opening, CT Examiner
Lois Dodd Review, Two Coats of Paint
Slater Memorial Art Museum Reopening, CT Examiner
2022
Kris Rac Home Gallery Review, Two Coats Of Paint
Jodi Hayes Night Gallery Review, ArtSpiel
2021
Clarity Haynes At Aldrich Museum Review, CT Examiner
Kumasi Barnett Interview, ArtSpielCOMMUNITY ACTIVISM
Norwich Sister Mural, logistics and planning
Mini-Mural Project, community-based artwork & educational events
2023
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum, Branford Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Bruce Museum,
Lyme Art Association, Norwich Juneteenth Celebration
2022
Mystic Seaport Museum, Lyme Art Association, Lyman Allyn Art Museum,
Lyme Art Association, Florence Griswold Museum CT, MOCA Westport CT
2021
Mystic Aquarium, Lyme Arts Academy, Rocky Hill School, Sikh Art Gallery, Norwich Got TalentArts & Advocacy Talk Series, curator and moderator
2023
Free Career Development for marginalized artists, 7 talk series
2022
New Media Caucus 3 part series "Art Tech & Advocacy", Bruce Museum "Contemporary Naturalists"
2021
Florence Griswold Museum, Lyman Allyn Museum, Old Lyme Library
