KEREN TOLEDANO

Keren Toledano is a multi-disciplinary artist from New York City. Initially trained in literature, Keren earned her BA in English from Harvard University and later pursued an MA in Arts & Humanities Education from NYU. With a solid foundation in storytelling and a deep understanding of the arts, she embarked on a varied career path that saw her as a literary agent, Hollywood story editor, freelance writer, and film archivist.

After gaining recognition for her short stories published in esteemed literary journals, Keren found herself facing writer’s block. This challenge, rather than stifling her creativity, led her to discover a new artistic medium. In 2017, she introduced her unique fusion of abstract collage and fragmented literary excerpts in her inaugural solo exhibition titled "THE ACT BUT NOT THE THING IS SACRED." This collection served as a poignant reflection on the impermanence of art and the creative process, urging her never to hold onto her creations too tightly.

Keren's artistic evolution has been a harmonious blend of painting and writing, where she constantly seeks connections between these two disciplines. Her collaborative spirit has led to partnerships with interior designers and art publishers, broadening the reach of her distinctive creations. Her work has garnered attention both locally and internationally, being showcased at renowned art fairs and featured in various prestigious magazines.

In Keren's artistic practice, she delves deep into the concept of tension as the essence of storytelling. Her paintings are intricate palimpsests, rich with layers that interact and influence one another. Drawing from her background as a creative writer, Keren explores the symbiotic relationship between narrative and image, using specific marks to evoke a primal, pre-linguistic syntax.

Stains on raw canvas function as adjectives, while hard-lined shapes represent concrete nouns. This interplay challenges our perceptions, revealing that what appears solid is often just a surface reaction to underlying complexities. Her current body of work is a testament to this exploration, examining how our eyes and brains collaborate to make meaning, yet can be easily deceived by context.

Keren invites viewers to broaden their perspectives, to discern which shapes come forward and which recede in their own interpretive lenses. Just as in life, where our experiences shape our unique worldview, the marks on Keren's artistic palimpsest offer a reflection on our individual and collective narratives.