Manhattan Gallerist Draws Empowerment from Exhibition of Israeli Artists

Olga Kundina’s ‘Shabbat, 2024,’ Oil on canvas 27.5 x 31.5 in (69.85 x 80.01 cm) at the ‘New Barbizon’ show at New York’s FORMah gallery, showing the work of three Israeli artists through July 20, 2024. 

FORMah Gallery in Manhattan showcased a three-person exhibition “The New Barbizon,” with works by Olga Kundina, Anna Lukashevsky, and Natalia Zourabova, which was opened from June 13 - July 20, 2024. The group's name alludes to the Barbizon School of 19th-century French painters who embraced an observational approach in painting naturalist landscapes focusing on realism. The artists’ works presented at the exhibition seem to be experimenting while also reinventing the traditional practice with use of personal interpretation of what is seen as real, leaving motifs unclear and subtly provocative as the artists navigate through modern day scapes.

Maryana Kaliner, an entrepreneur and founder of FORMah gallery, a Russian-born, Haifa-raised Israeli living in New York, chose to represent Russian-Israeli artists in response to October 7. Kaliner aims to counter anti-Israel sentiment and foster political conversations through art. Despite challenges, including increased security measures, the gallery welcomed diverse audiences, fostering understanding and support of Israeli artists.

Visit FORMah Gallery at 42 Allen Street, New York.

Learn more about the FORMah gallery here: https://www.theformah.com/