Marlen Ferrer

Born in South Africa, to my Israeli father and S.African mother, during the years of Apartheid, I knew I would not stay there. The family moved numerous times, living in Rhodesia, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

After my studies at Witwatersrand University, I moved to England with my husband and studied Cartography. In 1978 we immigrated to Israel to build a small community,' Manof’, in the hills of the Galilee, where I opened a business silk screening on cloth, later this developed into painting on silk and designing exotic garments, as well as continuing to exhibit my paintings locally and overseas. I have 2 daughters Cara, a Chinese medicine practioner and Maya, an artist, and chef.

My life in Israel has been filled with changes and intensity, constantly creating art. Teaching is my joy, sharing my knowledge and experience with others, and seeing them develop their artistic abilities.

To be in touch with the wonder of nature, and see life as an expression of one's soul, guided by a higher force, is the gift of being an artist. The path is made by walking it, I shall keep my eyes open and walk gently.

My art is an expression of who I am, the times I live in and my life. The materials around me effect my creations. When I lived in Tivon, the trees gave me the material for my female spirit sculptures, whilst the city of Tel Aviv, has inspired me to intense color and random stains in tar and industrial paint. I work from an unknown source of energy that drives me anew on every canvas, never knowing what the outcome will be, and grateful for the images that unfold from the unconscious. My belief is that we are part of one whole and all my acts and knowledge is siphoned through me from the archetypal universe.

The act of creating plastic art is seeded within the ability of a few talented people who transform tangible material into unique artistic creations. The multifaceted artist Marlen Ferrer is part of this exclusive group and her works manifest the magical process of transforming natural materials, colors and tar into compositions containing spiritual entities which convey feelings and emotions and are interpreted by the viewers according to their personalities. Her attraction to the beauty and perfection of nature, the ultimate artist, inspires her to combine natural vegetative elements in her sculptural works, creating female figures [2 m height] from palm fronds. The removal of the barriers between her personal life, feelings and emotions are reflected in the works represented in this catalogue which manifest the versatility of her expressive-intuitive amplitude. Statements about femininity, couples, struggles and ambitions are displayed in vigorous hand strokes with brushes and scalpels in various techniques on recycled paper or canvas. With force and assurance she paints, drips, floats and leaves her unique textural and chromatic stamp.

Her dynamic compositions are vigorous, sensuous and create a dialogue with the surrounding space. The white industrial oil paint and tar are applied expressively "alla prima" revealing the different hues of the tar, without inhibitions or boundaries, and become clear images when perceived by the viewer. The technique and quality of the works derives from her long experience as a teacher and therapist, observational abilities and the inspiration of the biggest teacher- ÔMother NatureÕ. Her sensitivity and empathy to the human condition [pschycologically] combine with her rich experience and her experimentalism to create a versatile topography. The importance of the textural aspect is enhanced by the intentional elimination of the colors, so oneÕs attention is diverted to the material itself. An analogy to the intentional elimination of colors can be found in the works of the Cubist paintings from the analytical period (1907-1910), which were chosen by Pavlo Picasso and George Braque in order to divert the attention to analytical-geometrical forms. The dominant colors are brown [earth], white [water] with additional applications of gold leaf [spirit.] Dramatic effects are created by the contrasts between white and black lending versatility to the element of light and shadow. Some works are more lyrical and others more stormy, reflecting her mood when she created them. In some paintings there is a juxtoposition of restraint meditative energy with the stormyaggressive energy. Thematically she deals with women, femininity, couples and also, angels, animals (horses), landscapes, and abstract themes as struggles revived from Greek mythology. Occasionally there are figures depicted accurately with details testifying her drawing skills. In other cases the figures can be observed only generally by symbolic stains. The context of these more abstract paintings is open to the interpretation of the viewer inviting him to respond to some inner religious faith as at the altar of an unknown god. The inclusion of texts enriches the tactile quality as well as creating a dialogue between the word and the image. The words contain messages which encourage the observer to identify with the artist's feelings of anxiety, fear, separation and her existential questions. Marlen Ferrer manifests her perception of the world as a matrix made from interwoven elements of feelings, fiber, fantasy and philosophy.

Solo Exhibitions
2011 The Container - Jaffa - The Canvas Is My Lover
2010 Jaffa Antiquities Museum - Mother and Daughter
2009 "Wrapping Gebo-Art in Action", Gebo Gallery, Tel Aviv
2007 "New Beginnings", Gebo Gallery, Tel Aviv
2004 New Community Gallery. Kiryat Tivon. Israel
2002 Castro Art Centre. Haifa. Israel
2002 Artist House, Tel Aviv
2000 The Studio Gallery. Raanana. Israel
1999 New Community Gallery. Kiryat Tivon. Israel
1999 National Association of Israeli Artists. Tel Aviv. Israel
1994 Amalia Arbel Gallery. Tel Aviv. Israel
1992 Linda Goodman Gallery. Johannesburg. South Africa
1991 Karen McKeron Gallery. Johannesburg. South Africa
1990 Cultural Centre. Nahariya. Israel
1989 Amalia Arbel Gallery. Rishon Le Tzion. Israel
1989 Beit Abu Choushi. Haifa. Israel
1988 Cultural Centre. Karmiel. Israel
1987 Laura Gallery. Johannesburg. South Africa
1983 Elizabeth Gallery. Raanana. Israel

Group Exhibitions
2011 Alternative Space - Tel Aviv Rothschild Blvd
2009 "Sweet and Sour", Rishon Le Zion Cultural Center
2009 "First and Last", Ein Hod Gallery, Israel
2009 "Hagada shel Yetzira", Aminadav Center, Jaffa, Tel Aviv
2009 Salon of Classical and Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia
2009 "Face Lift", Jaffa Museum, Tel Aviv
2008 "Every One has a Name", Rashi Center, Paris, France
2008 Museum Hatanach, Tel Aviv
2008 Hall of Culture, Rishon Le Zion
2007 Sculpture, Rishon Le Zion Cultural Center
2007 Petach tikvah, Cultural Centre Sculpture
2007 Globus project, Rothchild Boulevard, Tel Aviv
2006 Wilfrid Israel Museum, Hazorea
2005 Haifa Artists Association, Haifa, Israel
2005 Sculpture Bienale, Tivon, Israel
2005 Sculpture Bienale, Binyamin, Israel
2004 Haifa Congress Centre, Haifa, Israel
2004 Western Gallillee College, Israel
1993 Opera House, Tel Aviv, Israel
1989 Gallery 101 Kensington, London, UK
1984 De Vorzen Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
1980 Jerusalem Theatre, Israel