Tamar Halpern:
B. Los Angeles, CA. 1979
Halpern Has Lived Many Places- California, New Mexico, Israel, New York City; They Travel Incessantly, Often Taking Up Short-Term Residence In Their Host City. The Traveling And Experience Of Different Cultures Are Intrinsic To Their Work And A Source Of Inspiration.
Halpern Earned Their BFA At The College Of Santa Fe, NM And Their MFA At Columbia University. Solo Exhibitions Of Their Work Have Been Held At Galleries Around The World. Most Recently Their Work Has Been Presented At Tennis Elbow At The Journal Gallery In NYC; They And Eileen Quinlan Mounted BITCHES TALKIN (2019) A Collaborative Installation At Black Ball Projects, Brooklyn, NY, (2018); And Nino Meir Showed Their Work In Los Angeles In An Exhibition Titled Playback (2016).
Currently Halpern Lives And Works In New York City.
The fragmented images, texts, and materials that I use to make work reflect my relationship to my gender and my identity. Recognizable artifacts like silk, hands, and feet - are splayed apart, hinting at my ritual, and the depth between layers provides insight into my lived experience, an inherent reference to duration and the stillness of transition. Making artwork slows the process of defining myself and the societal pressure to resolve who I am. While it's not an option for me to wait for my identity to be resolved, mirroring my studio practice with my daily life validates and affirms my existence while contributing to an art world where output defines legacy.