Efrat Merin 'The Other Side of Paradise'

EFRAT MERIN
the other side of paradise

“do you dare to step into
the vulnerable black, stripped
to the soul with human blindness –
when the full and weeping
moon steps from the shade
of a tumult of mountains –
when, in the fragrant dim,
day’s tree stump transforms
into some nether-worldly other –
when time’s skin is thin and you are
bared – when there is nothing
between you and the Wildest One
whose name is your own?”
Beth Morey, ‘Night Cycles: Poetry
for a Dark Night of the Soul’
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My work is a journey through the labyrinth
of the mind. Painting, to me, is the
ultimate rebellion against the constraints
of rationality, the alchemical process of
making the unconscious conscious. I make
use of the ‘mythical‘ to contest dominant
power structures, reversing patriarchal
power relations and celebrating female
desires through a retelling of mythical
narratives. I am especially fascinated
by origin myths – ideas of primordial
chaos and narratives of separation and
becoming. Prominent themes in my
work include the performativity of the
body, the fusion of science and magic,
and ongoing environmental crisis as an
existential state.
In the past three years, I have been
developing the sgraffito technique, in
which parts of the surface are scratched
and removed to expose the underlying
layer. I use cold wax encaustic paint, an
ancient formula dating back to Greco-
Roman antiquity. This is a technique
which reveals rather than adds, an
archaeological-like process that endows
the paintings with a quality of discovery
reflecting my work with historicalfuturistic
mythology.
My paintings are inhabited by a cast of
characters—often women—who navigate
the shifting sands of desire, oppression,
and liberation. Each figure is a vessel
for emotion, a mirror reflecting the
contradictions and complexities of
the human soul. My figures are often
anthropomorphic, trapped in the limbo
of birth and decay, sometimes grotesque
and macabre, sometimes calling for help,
longing to be released from the tight
universe of the canvas.
Recently, I have been exploring depictions
of femininity throughout history,
portraying demonesses, witches, and
female misfits. One central figure in this
body of work is Lilith, Adam’s first wife,
the queen of succubus, and the symbol
of the disobedient, uncontrollable, and
dangerously alluring woman. I take
inspiration from myths and historical
narratives, which are reinterpreted
through queer and feminist perspectives,
to create new, alternative futures.
Transmutations
cold encaustic on board, 110 x 110 cm
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Birth of Lilith as an Androgynous Time Traveller
cold encaustic on board, 110 x 110 cm
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Lilith and Eve in One of the Possible Worlds
cold encaustic on board, 110 x 110 cm
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Expulsion from the Garden of Eden
cold encaustic on board, 182 x 137 cm
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Lilith and Eve
cold encaustic on board, 182 x 137 cm
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Turn Back Time
cold encaustic on board, 170 x 140 cm
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Talking About a Revolution
cold encaustic on board, 200 x 145 cm
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AI Doesn’t Dream
cold encaustic on board, 200 x 145 cm
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Twilight Time
cold encaustic on board, 120 x 90 cm
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Loneliness of a Time Traveller
cold encaustic on board, 110 x 110 cm
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The Other Side of Paradise
cold encaustic on board, 110 x 110 cm
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Parting the Ocean,
cold encaustic on board, 41 x 41 cm
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Birth and Transmutation of an Artificial Being
cold encaustic on board, 100 x 65 cm
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Selected Biography
Efrat Merin is a London-based artist. In her work, she makes use of the
mythical to contest dominant power structures, celebrating female desires
through a queer retelling of mythical narratives. Prominent themes in her
work include the performativity of the queer body, the fusion of science and
magic, and the environmental crisis as an existential state.
Efrat has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across the UK, Europe,
and Tel Aviv. Solo shows include ‘Dream. Figure’ at Maya Gallery, Tel Aviv
(2020), ‘Anima Mundi’ at Darbyshire Ltd (2023), and ‘Atomic Relations’ at
SVA, Stroud (2023). Group exhibitions include shows at venues such as
Camden Art Center, Vincent van Gogh Huis Museum, Zundert and Tel Aviv
Museum. She graduated from Turps Art School in 2022 and was selected
for the Darbyshire Award for Emerging Art. In 2023, she was selected for
Bloomberg New Contemporaries. She has been an artist-in-residence at
Frans Masereel Centrum (2022) and Van Gogh Huis Zundert (2023). Efrat is
the recipient of several grants and awards, including A-N Artist Bursaries
(2023) and the Arts Council England DYCP grant (2024). Her work has been
featured in publications such as Floorrr Magazine and ArtMaze Mag.
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Published by Anima Mundi to coincide with ’The Other Side of Paradise’ by Efrat Merin
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