LMAKprojects is proud to present Recombination, a solo exhibition by Nava Lubelski. The exhibit will feature Lubelski’s signature technique of 3-dimensional elements intertwined with paintings and sculpture.

In Recombination, Lubelski was inspired by the idea of ‘Recombinant DNA’, in which DNA molecules from different sources are joined to create new genetic material. This reflects the basis of her work in which Lubelski draws on her knowledge of various mediums to experimentally combine them and create new outcomes. Beginning with the act of incident (stains) and destruction (literal holes in the material) Lubelski delicately yet diligently repairs or reiterates the actions of demolition, making the destructive impulse a creative act.

There is a strong duality in Lubelski’s work, characterized by opposites: aggression/conciliation, chaotic/controlled, and expressive/constricted. This duality is continued throughout her technique and the associations inherent in her various methods of working. Using bold and deliberate colors, Lubelski redefines the stained shapes with needle and thread. Through action and re-action form is given to stereotypically masculine and feminine tendencies. The juxtaposition of the accidental marks with the detailed and labor-intensive structure of the stitching liberates threadwork from its traditional dependence on functionality and order, while simultaneously enhancing the aggressive forms.

Lubelski’s experimentation with various media has allowed her to discover and push new boundaries in painting. Every component, down to each stitch, is an integral part of the piece, as in a living organism. Holes are laced together, casting shadows on the wall, in turn creating a new dimension. This recombination of material is re-iterated in Lubelski’s sculptures, wherein tediously and precisely torn rejection letters are turned into organic-seeming structures. A negative impulse is reversed into a positive creation, the paper recycled into what could almost be a tree cross-section or other biological growth. Every action has its reaction, and Lubelski’s work mimics a scientific synthesis of opposing forces.

Nava Lubelski was born and raised in New York City and lives currently in Asheville, NC. She received a degree in Russian Literature & History from Wesleyan University. Lubelski’s work has been seen in two solo shows with OHT Gallery in Boston and was recently included in exhibitions at the Museum of Arts & Design in Manhattan, the Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro, NC and the Queens Museum of Art in Queens, NY, where her work is part of the permanent collection. Lubelski was the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant in 2008 and a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Grant in 2005. She was Artist-in-Residence at CUE Art Foundation in New York City in 2007.