“The coronavirus urged Ariel Lavian to close down the shutters facing outward and focus on creating a new series, Depths of Heaven, which unfurls a new branch of his work. In his new solo exhibition, Lavian presents jewelry made of copper and silver, using fold forming techniques. In the choreography between hammer, metal, and anvil, generated by the artist’s initial inward impulse, a vibrating pulsation emerges and extends far beyond the workbench, simultaneously resounding back into the body and affecting the rhythm of successive movements. The continuous hardening of the metal decrees a consistent change in its surface and creates an intimacy that unites the artist with the responsive material in a delicate, mutual transformation. Lavian evolves his craftsmanship in a patina coating that creates an impressive, colorful presence. The garden of works that unfolds in the space looks like an amalgamation of botanical species emerging from secret worlds that were previously visible to the eye but can now enter the heart. “Every movement requires its right time,” says the Tao Te Ching. Lavian sets out onto his path without leaving his studio. His journey through the materials has found its right moment….”
Curator: Vered Babai