The Garden of Eden with Dorit Levinstein and Yoel Benharrouche – words Alexa Wang
The Garden of Eden lives deep within our selves. Whether we are religious or not it has a hold over us as a concept. The idea of a fertile land of plenty where we would want for nothing as we’re guarded over and sustained by the tree of life is a powerful one.
That humankind was then thrown out of such an idyllic place, through our own arrogance and greed, contains powerful messages on the human condition. It has been developed by religions and later used in art and even film to shine a mirror back on us and our shortcomings as well as acting as a kind of Utopia that we might return to one day.
Artists have, over the centuries, tried to capture The Garden of Eden and interpret the story back to us in different ways for each new era. A new exhibition entitled Garden of Eden at Eden Fine Art Mayfair features the work of artists Dorit Levinstein and Yoel Benharrouche as they explore their very own slants on the biblical story. In the gallery they have responded to the concept turning their own thoughtful and playful ideas into physical form for visitors to experience.
The forms and colours of Bharuch’s fantastical shapes bring to mind a very 21st century take on the Garden of Eden story. Organic but not natural, playful, knowing but almost childlike in their innocence – they recalls perhaps the time before we as humans were cast out. He claims that his ‘paintings translate [his] inner world and are therefore an inseparable part of spiritual life.’
This playfulness also continues through the work of Dorit Levinstein. In the original story the tempter takes the form of a snake who entices us and plays with our minds and influences our deeds. In a similar way the pieces toy with us with curving lines and mind bogglingly endless paths. On creation, Levinstein comments that ‘there is a magical moment when the artwork starts to come alive and take the lead,’ drawing similarities between the birth of an artwork and the story of Genesis.
It’s a thought provoking, playful and uplifting exhibition that transforms the gallery into a retelling of the story for our complicated age.
The exhibition ends this Friday 22nd March, but a selection of the works will remain on display for people to come and see.
Regularly exhibiting modern collections from all over the world, Eden Fine Art Mayfair features 12,000 square feet and four floors of art gallery space full of inspiring, and evocative artwork. Eden Fine Art is a major international art gallery with galleries across the globe including London, NYC and Tel Aviv.
