Formless and Void
תהו ובהו
On the 1 year anniversary, 9 local artists grapple with the chaos of a post-October 7th world through the lens of Torah.
The imagery of the opening lines from the Hebrew Bible serves as the springboard for these artists to make meaning from this tragic act of de-creation.
The words "Formless and Void" (תהו ובהו) aptly describe the feeling and experiences of so many of us trying to process the darkness of our current reality.
And yet, they carry the hope that there is new creative life on the other side. Amidst all of the headlines, slogans, and posts, how can we sort through all of the noise to make meaning from what seems senseless?
Join us at Upside Down at our gallery right across the street from UCLA, as we explore the cultural artifacts that inspire us to have generative conversations that do not disregard the darkness, but move towards hope.
This exhibit is on view at Upside Down Gallery from October 19th to December 20th, 2024.
Featured Artists
Elya Hannah Aboutboul Bilia
Elya Aboutboul Bilia explores themes of translation and transformation across a range of mediums—including drawing, painting, sculpture, and video. Her work delves into how objects, forms, and materials communicate and carry meaning, often reflecting on identity, memory, and cultural narratives.
Driven by curiosity and a deep respect for material, Elya engages with readymade and everyday objects as active
agents in her work, believing that their materiality and inherent associations are integral to the overall composition.
At the core of her practice is a commitment to bridging art and language, where translation functions not only as a linguistic tool but as a method for crossing categorical boundaries. Elya sees the creative process as an act of transformation, reconfiguring materials, concepts, and experiences to recreate a reality of a world and an order.
Lilia Aviv Silberling
My name is Lilia Aviv and I am a student artist. I'm excited about working with Upside Down, as this is my first time participating in an exhibition. I enjoy sculpting, especially with plaster, and mixed media work involving painting alongside sculptural forms. Outside of art, I am really passionate about cooking, and my artistic process is a lot like coming up with recipes from scratch. It involves deeply connecting with my art through experimentation and
research, and I think that discovering new ways to transform materials is one of the most exciting parts of creation.
I come from an Israeli American household and grew up in SoCal, and I currently live and practice art in Long Beach. As I finish studying at Long Beach State, I plan to keep working with my community on pieces like “Organized Dissonance.”
Toby Levi
Toby Levi is a Jewish, Costa Rican-American multi-disciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. In his painting, he has developed a colorful portrait of ironic, surreal and sarcastic themes. In his filmmaking, he favors dark comedy, with deadpan delivery. Toby's artistic expression generally follows a comedic approach to contextualize the irony in dark situations.
Dara Feller
Dara Feller is a photographer/multidisciplinary artist living in LA. Her practice focuses on portraiture, self-portraiture, and live music photography. After receiving a BFA in Studio Art from Chapman University, she utilized her experience in multimedia studio practice to creative direct, style and build her own photoshoot sets. Dara’s work can be seen in publications such as Polyester Zine, Business Insider, and Pass the Aux, as well as an artist feature in SD Voyager Magazine.
Casey Fritz
C.S. Fritz is an award winning illustrator, designer and author. Illustrating within the dark arts has been a habit since childhood, but taken seriously upon entering adulthood. It was there that it became a serious form of vocation and provision. Selling out galleries and with over 35 books in print, one of which has been purchased for film. Casey lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two children and black cat.
Aviva Maoz
My name is Aviva Maoz. I was born in beautiful Israel. I served in the IDF and have a deep love for the country, religion, the Jewish people and the Jewish history.
I moved to California 40 years ago and have since remained here with my lovely family.
I am a mother to three beautiful, successful women, a grandmother to six wonderfully
silly boys, a dedicated school Teacher, a yoga instructor, an artist, and a poem reader.
I am recently retired from teaching and fully focused on my art. Today I paint mostly abstract art and love every moment of it. I feel connected and inspired by my heritage, passages and movement through time. I have participated in several art exhibits and sell my work privately. Art is my passion and I love being able to create something that will be cherished long after me.
Ronen Pollak
I am Ronen Pollak, a Los Angeles based artist. My work has been showcased and sold in galleries and museums both locally and globally, with locations including Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Santiago Chile, London, Japan, Vienna, Israel, Australia and more.
My art is both representational and an abstraction of life be it physical or spiritual.
I use mixed mediums which allows me to express myself in both colorful expressionist paintings, as well as, black ink line drawings. I live with a mission to bring forth the beauty of emotions, nature, human struggle, and light.
Art has been at the center of my life since the young age of three. In addition to being an artist, I am a published poet and musician, and have experience as an art teacher and curator as well. Traveling worldwide and experiencing various cultures has also shaped my work as an artist. I am dedicated to highlighting the things that sometimes go unnoticed, and to telling stories and touching hearts. My work, therefore, is an ever evolving extension of who I am.
Julia Elihu
Julia is an Iranian-American writer/director and sometimes producer whose work spans across the narrative and documentary landscape. Through film, she aims to shed light on underrepresented stories which capture life’s candid beauty.
At age 19, her short film “Yasamin”, based on her mother’s story of immigration, was a Grand Jury Prize Nominee at the 2018 AFI
Film Festival. In 2022, she associate produced the short documentary “Long Line of Ladies” which world premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, won the grand jury prize at SXSW, and was picked up by The New York Times Op-Docs. In 2021, she produced the short documentary “Team Meryland” which was acquired by The New Yorker and PBS' POV Shorts Program.
Julia's short narrative film, “Winter of ‘79”, had its World Premiere at the prestigious Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, and had its online debut on Omeleto. Her latest short, “In the Garden of Tulips”, had its world premiere at the Aspen Shortsfest, where it won the “Youth Jury Award.” The film also took home the Oscar®-qualifying award for “Best Live Action Short Film” at the St. Louis International Film Festival and has made its online debut as a Vimeo Staff Pick. In the future, Julia hopes to tell more stories that remind us to cherish the small wonders of life that emerge even in the face of hardship.
Galeet Gia Zeituny
My work is meant to be an invitation for viewers to explore their own thoughts and feelings without judgment or criticism from others. I strive to create art that is open to interpretation and allows for multiple perspectives, making it a kind of visual Rorschach test. I hope that by providing an open space for dialogue, we can foster understanding and create positive change in
our planet Earth, and bring people together to create a more loving and peaceful world.
Galeet Gia Z was born in 1978 in Israel and grew up in the bustling city of Tel Aviv. In 2011, she and her boyfriend embarked on an adventurous journey to Los Angeles, got married, and had two kids.
Despite the challenges she faced, Galeet found the courage to pursue her dreams and make significant life changes after five years. Art became Galeet's form of therapy, allowing her to heal and express her feelings without words. Since then, she has used her art as a means of communication and connection with her clients' souls, spreading messages of positivity, bravery, love, and hope. Before pursuing art full-time, Galeet owned a beauty salon, where she first discovered her love for color. She later studied Feng Shui, using her knowledge of color and movement to promote harmony and well-being.
Today, Galeet is a professional artist and art therapist, guiding others on their journey of self-discovery and healing through creativity. She dedicates her work to creating experiences of peace, compassion, and forgiveness, helping others find their authentic voice.
Galeet's art has been celebrated globally, with commissions from high-profile clients, companies, and organizations such as Summerland Group development, Vendome Spa, Burgarim restaurant, and art collectors from Miami, New York, and Israel.
