Elad Rosen
b. 1980, Hod Hasharon, Israel; lives and works in Tel Aviv.

Elad Rosen's expressive painting is inspired by a wide variety of cultural worlds and artistic styles: pop art, comics, slapstick comedy, native and outsider art (Art Brut). For his images and compositions he draws inspiration from the primitive graphics of early video and computer games, which were part of his childhood. In his paintings, which transpire on the axis between abstract and figurative, there is constant tension between the cheerful, childlike coloration and sloppy, spontaneous style, on the one hand, and the chaotic, violent, anxious content—a dissonance that spawns a grotesque parody. Rosen often addresses the information overload typical of the current era, an incessant stream of news events, horror stories, and mainly endless images, which sometimes convey a feeling of helplessness and a sense of powerlessness, given the inability (or lack of desire) to take real action that goes beyond the boundaries of virtual space.

 

In his painting on the truck, Rosen revisited the image of the strawberry which has nourished his work in diverse contexts: the iconic shape reminiscent of an emoji, which can also resemble a human portrait, along with the imagery associated with it pertaining to sweetness and romance, but also to decadence and decay.
On one side of the truck he depicted the strawberries in a state of conflict, while on the other side, the figures embrace in an idyllic moment of love and unity. Rosen thus wishes to overcome art's impotence and offer an alternative for a different, better future.

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Holds a BFA and MFA (with honors) from the Department of Fine Arts, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem. Participated in the residency programs of the Cité internationale des arts, Paris (2018) and Artport Tel Aviv (2016). Recipient of the Israel Ministry of Culture and Sports Young Artist Prize (2015) and the Osnat Mozes Young Artist Painting Prize (2010). His works have been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions in various museums and galleries, including the Jerusalem Artists' House; Haifa Museum of Art; The Midrasha Gallery, Tel Aviv; Rosenfeld Gallery, Tel Aviv; Barbur Gallery, Jerusalem, etc.

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Courtesy of Rosenfeld Gallery, Tel Aviv