Memory has become the instrument through which John Jurayj filters his skills. He has directed his attention to the assembling of images of Lebanon, his lost country. Through landscapes of an Arcadian nature or cityscapes of bombed buildings, he revisits the feelings of loss, abandonment, and desire, adding a political fiber to what could be a Proustian interpretation of memory as a lost paradise.

The result is one of a seductive ambiguity. The blue skies and the luscious meadows rendered in an impressionistic style melt down in abstract expressionistic blobs; color-coordinated optical juxtapositions obscure the brutal image of a bomb blast. How much should be remembered and how much should be forgotten becomes a difficult task and art becomes the perfect tool to swim through these dilemmas.

Before this current show, John Jurayj received his MFA from Bard College in 2005 He has had a White Room at White Columns in 2000 and has been included in various group shows in New York City. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn.