Chameleon

“The circle is related to the divine: a simple circle has since ancient times represented eternity, since it has no beginning and no end. An ancient text says that God is a circle whose centre is everywhere but whose circumference is nowhere. The circle is essentially unstable and dynamic: all rotary movements and impossible searches for perpetual motion derive from the circle.” - Bruno Munari, The Circle “Chameleon” is a solo exhibition by artist Karen Dolev, presented as part of the MFA degree exhibition at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Tel Aviv. The exhibition features a new series of pastel drawings and a sculpture. The seven drawings in the series were made with soft chalk pastels. From layers of pigment on paper, a circle of light emerges. These drawings follow the logic of “mood rings”, a popular nostalgic trinket invented in 1970s’ New York. The “mood ring” changes its color based on the wearer’s body heat, that’s also supposed to indicate his current mood. Each drawing tries to capture, through its spectrum of color, a specific emotion noted in the instructions on the original ring. The ring offers a kind of magical solution: an external object that is a direct, supposedly objective measurement of inner feelings. In a similar way, the installation is functioning as an emotional compass spread out across the gallery space. The circular shape repeated in the drawings also resonate in “Chandelier”, a ready-made object in which a minimal intervention was created, a lighting fixture from which the lighting mechanism was displaced, and from the multitude of crystals adorning it, seven chains were replaced by delicate silver pendulums dangling down from its body. Karen Dolev (‬b‭. ‬1994‭, ‬Jerusalem‭) is a Tel Aviv-based visual artist, primarily focused on drawing, sculpture and installation. Within her practice she aims to examine the relationship between color, light and illusion. Dolev holds a BFA from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design (Jerusalem‭), and an MFA from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design (‬Tel Aviv). ‬She has participated in Gerrit Rietveld Academie’s student exchange program‭ (‬Amsterdam‭) ‬and in the Tel Aviv University Interdisciplinary Arts program‭.‬ Her works has been presented in numerous group exhibitions and solo exhibitions in Israel‭, ‬including the 8th Biennale for Drawing‭, ‬Jerusalem Artists‭' ‬House‭, ‬Hansen House‭, ‬Bezalel Academy Fine Arts department gallery‭ (‬Jerusalem‭), "‬Loving Art Making Art‭" ‬festival‭, ‬Binyamin gallery‭, ‬Tel Aviv Artists’‭ ‬Studios‭‭, ‬Halal Bastudio‭ (‬Tel-Aviv‭), ‬and more‭.‬ Dolev has been awarded a Fine Arts grant from The Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts‭, Tel Aviv. ‬Her works have been showcased in Haaretz newspaper‭, ‬Jerusalem Post newspaper‭, ‬Harama Magazine‭, ‬Portfolio magazine‭, ‬Koma 6‭ ‬Magazine‭ (‬Israel‭), ‬Rietveld Journal‭ (‬Holland‭) ‬and Art Viewer Magazine‭ (‬Belgium‭). ‬She is a co-founder of‭ "‬Halal Bastudio‭", ‬an independent nonprofit platform featuring exhibitions by emerging artists‭.‬