Chasidic artist Michael Mordechai Cohen celebrated his East Coast debut as he unveiled a series of pop-influenced spiritual prints at the J. Klaynberg Gallery in the New York City neighborhood of Chelsea.
Last week’s premier of Cohen’s “Don’t Mess With the Besht: Part II” – the title refers to the acronymic name of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chasidic thought – brought a cross-section of Jewish life to the two-year-old gallery, which is run by the Chabad-Lubavitch Center for Jewish Discovery. The first to be featured under new curator Sarah Lehat, the show drew on traditional Jewish and contemporary images, a reflection of Cohen’s own religious journey.
Cohen was inspired by Jewish mysticism and Chasidic thought while working towards his B.F.A. in printmaking at California State University, Long Beach. Today, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son and considers himself a Chasid of the Nikolsburg Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yechiel Mechel Lebovits.
“One really discovers Cohen’s journey from Southern California culture” to an embrace of Jewish religious life, says Nechama Marcus, who attended the Aug. 26 opening.
Artist Elke Reva Sudin agrees.
“Michael’s work,” she says, “is a confrontation of 21st century Jewish identities.”
Lehat says that Cohen’s show will continue through the fall.
Future emerging artists featured by the center will similarly employ the power of art to evoke a shared sense of pride and identity.
“The soul of the artist is experienced via his work,” says Lehat. “His journey, emotions, etc., are captured in a moment of artistic expression that resonates with the individual viewing the art.”
Cohen describes his work as translating Torah lessons into “aesthetically pleasing and thought-provoking” works of art. One of the most arresting features of Cohen’s work is his use of familiar imagery from various subcultures, including gang and bike cultures.
Founded by Rabbi Naftali Rotenstreich and real estate developer Joseph Klaynberg, the J. Klaynberg gallery aims to create a sense of Jewish community by showcasing the work of Jewish artists.
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