“Our concept of beauty has deeply transformed over the decades. Taking inspiration from old painters, I like to play with notions of modern and traditional by revisiting classic fine art styles on a modern way. The minimal colour palette is connected with gender stereotypes and the representation of women in media, aiming to raise questions in regards to social behaviour and gender equality.” – Carolina Mizrahi
Carolina Mizrahi (b. 1982) graduated from London College of Fashion in 2013, and has since utilised her skill set in fashion photography to question commercialised representation, featuring widely in acclaimed publications such as Vogue and Elle. Her latest collection, The Farewell Party, is on display at Daniel Raphael Gallery, London, alongside paintings by Morgan Ward, in a vibrant and powerfully conceptual exhibition that questions reality through the use of colour and construction.
Mizrahi has arranged a number of immersive installations that call upon different colour palettes to dissect femininity and sexuality. Flowers, insects and fruit come to the fore as symbolic icons that are given a new meaning through block pinks and blues. Farewell Party 5, for example, uses the mythological history of the pomegranate in a deeply metaphorical and modern retelling. Against a block pastel background, the exposed object blends seamlessly into setting, whilst a plasticised curtain and a pink-stained table offer a sense of theatrical presentation that is both aesthetically pleasing and gothically charged.
Offering minimal scenes that are at once haunting and satisfactory to look at, the Brazillian artist offers audiences the chance to unpick narratives of decay, questioning the very notion of beauty, and the undercurrents of gender exploration. Moving out of photography and into three dimensional realms, the pieces call upon vanitas and recognisable still lifes as environments in which viewers can re-assess artificiality. As Daniel Levy, Curator and Gallery Owner states: “This show marks an exciting move for the gallery, using the space as part of an installation. Bringing the works of these two fresh talents together in a complementary show and sensory overload is part of what we’re all about.”
The Artificial Now runs from 20 September at Daniel Raphael Gallery, London. For more information: www.danielraphael.co.uk
To read an interview with Mizrahi and Juno Calypso from a previous exhibition at Arusha Gallery: www.aestheticamagazine.com
For more information about the artist: www.carolinamizrahi.com