Amichai Shalev, “How Many Shades does White Have” ynet News and

Updates – Yedioth Aharonot, On the Matter of Culture, 22 July 2009. On the

series “Between White and Grays”.

Exhibition: How Many Hues of White are there?

A new photography exhibit by the photographer Malka Inbal investigates among other issues the color white in its different representations, and nudity through various conditions of consciousness

A new photo exhibition of the photographer Malka Inbal will open tomorrow (Thursday) at the Tel Aviv Artists’ House. The series of photographs addresses human scenarios of daily life, in a feminine orientation, through meetings of light and shadow and close-ups, which form transitions from the interior to the exterior.

“In the new series of black and white photographs, white becomes the dominant color. White, in its various representations, signifies diverse and even contradictory cultural associations – the innocence of virginity, spirituality and shrill purity, emptiness, naught and, at the same time, death,” says Irit Levin, the exhibition’s curator.

Black has never described the moods of the soul as white has

Inbal describes the work process for this exhibition as intimate and magical: “I arranged the white cloths that I sewed in the studio, I arranged the lighting and observed the outcome. The ‘white’ was simply divine. A rich and wonderful web of hues was discovered there. I stared enchanted, black has never described the moods of the soul as white has.” Inbal adds that her choice of nudity stemmed from an understanding that it is possible to shed a camouflage and investigate states of consciousness.

Inbal returns to deal with femininity once again after approximately ten years; if in the past it seemed to her that her 50s would bring the end of the age of femininity, at age 54 Inbal comes to peace with herself, with who she is, with what she has managed to attain, and even with the ability to place things in proportion.

Inbal, a graduate of Camera Obscura, places light at the forefront of her artwork. “Light is the lead actor in my works, both because photography is the art of light and because light helps me express the sense of layers and depth. Stratifications form in my work that tries to understand the complications of the human soul,” she says, and adds that artwork is her lifelong drug that helps her cope with the banality of the day to day.

Inbal, who has managed to hold quite a few solo exhibitions and to take part in group exhibitions in France, New York and even China, will present her works, starting next week, at the NOHO gallery in New York as well.