Yossi Ben Abu

Gravel Swirl

2018

For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to shapes, patterns, geometry, and structure. Math was never my strong suit. So, I looked for other ways to satisfy my curiosity. I spent years sketching, designing, cutting and folding different materials into three-dimensional arrangements that expressed significantly more than the simple essence of the material. As an artist, I enjoy studying patterns, shapes, placement, and forms. I find it fascinating to use precisely cut geometrical figures made from paper, wood, glass, and porcelain to explore nonverbal ways of expressing and exploring emotions and desires. In recent years, I have worked primarily with paper - a simple, clean, everyday material. I transform the medium into patterns that can be simultaneously precise and abstract. By forcing motion into collections of paper bodies, I am able to express different feelings visually. My art breaks the mathematical beauty that exists in perfectly balanced geometrical shapes in order to illustrate feelings I cannot otherwise express. Many of my works explore the use of monochromatic combinations and the effects of light, time of day and shadows on the way it is perceived by the viewer.