Nir Hod

The Thinker.

You can’t help but be drawn into Nir Hod’s pieces, so deep and magnetic is their pull. Hod’s art begs an emotional investment – or at least an investment of serious contemplation, or conversation. Primarily a painter, Hod also works in sculpture, film and canvas. He explores themes of beauty, sexuality, decadence and lost innocence. Some of his work could be described as abstract, and his paintings often have a glamorous feel thanks to his use of Old Masters techniques. Other pieces mix and merge styles and are clear depictions of the contrasts that can exist in people: that fine line between innocent and narcissistic; highly polished and slightly askew. These contrasts can feel exposing and uncomfortable to look at, but this is deliberate – Hod’s work is never naïve. His aim is not to express, or even encourage judgment. Instead, it’s to control and draw attention, invoking curiosity. Everything is raw and visceral.