Bio
Born 1975, in Israel
Lives and works in Paris
2019| Residency at Villa Medicis (upcoming)
2018| Laureate Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l’intelligence de la main - Dialogues
2006| Unesco Artist residency, Beaux-Arts de l’université de Chiang-Mai, Thaïlande
2002| Graduated from Ecole Nationale Supérieur des Beaux-arts de Paris
For twenty years, Mona Oren has been creating a protean body of work that brings together drawing, photography, video and installation. Its center of gravity is, however, sculpture. Led to art by her desire to be in contact with the material substances, volumes and surfaces, she creates three-dimensional artworks which are then put into different settings by means of spatialization, transcription, photographic series or video.
Laureate of the Liliane Bettencourt Prize pour L’intelligence de la main in 2018, Mona Oren develops, in her artistic practice, a center of expertise in molding and casting in wax.
Wax, this "living", "organic" material that one may perceive in terms of its vulnerability: fragile, sensitive to aging or heat, it is under a constant threat of deformation. It is also an "intimate" medium. If nature and vegetal world were originally the source of inspiration for Mona Oren's work, she has now turned towards a more abstract and formal direction, while questioning her personal history.
Mona Oren's approach, which exploits evocative and formal force of the materials, can be likened to a post-minimalist practice; however, she enriches it with a more volatile emotivity. Symbolism, eroticism, humor are also present, alongside with doubt and modesty. The layers of meaning which add up in the viewer's eye are more delicate, translucent, than the statements of intent. They are composed by successive thin layers, by infinitesimal films, - between depth and fragility.
The works by Mona Oren were shown in numerous exhibitions, both in museums and galleries, in France and abroad.
Solo exhibitions
2018| PopUp BlowUp, Vee Hair Paris, France
2017| Le Chou chez Sauvage, Paris, France
2016| Cycle, Tallowin Edition Project, Londres, Angleterre
2015| Or Blanc, La Maison Guerlain, 68 Avenue des Champs Elysées, Paris, France
2015| MUR MUR, galerie L’Oeil du Vingtième, Paris, France
2015| Living Surface, galerie L’Oeil du Vingtième, Paris, France
2014| Monamour, performance au Musée Paul Dupuy, Toulouse, France
2011| Lamps, Chairs and White, agence Gallois Montbrun et Fabiani, Paris, France
2009| Metamorphosis, Oranim Gallery, Israël
2007| Paradiso, Janco Dada Museum, Ein Hod, Israël
2007| Purification, Chiang-Mai University Art Museum, Thaïlande
2005| The Kissing Room, Noga Gallery (Project Room), Tel-Aviv, Israël
Collective exhibitions
2018| Francophilia, Beit Romano Tel-Aviv, Israël, curating: Musée d’Art de Tel-Aviv
2018| Mitachat Lapanas, festival d’Art, Givat Haviva, Israël
2018| Je(ux) est un autre, Musée français de la Carte à Jouer, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
2017| Hyper Nature, galerie des Ateliers de Paris, Paris, France
2017| Black Incarnation, Espace Ecureuil pour l’Art Contemporain, Toulouse, France
2016| L’Empreinte du Geste, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
2016| Speak to me with flowers, Apter-Barrer Art Gallery, Ma’alot-Tarshicha, Israël
2015| Exposition collective, galerie L’Oeil du Vingtième, Paris, France
2014| Biennale Passage(s), Le Rouge, Musée Paul Dupuy, Toulouse, France
2012| Le Monde comme il bouge, La Brasserie, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
2012| v.o.i.d., avec Helen Michaelsen et Ellis Hutch, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Australie
2011| ComPeung Revisited, Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Center, Thaïlande
2010| The Cake, Gallois Montbrun & Fabiani, Paris, France
2009| Unveiling Ceremony, video screening & performance, Screen on Baker St., Londres, Angleterre
2008| Bagus Hati, Cullity Gallery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australie
2008| International Festival of the Environmental Image, Paris, France
2008| Vidéo Salon 3, Galerija 10m2, Sarajevo, Bosnie
2007| Les Ateliers d’été, L’Atelier c/o Galerie Jean Brolly, Paris, France
2007| La Biennale d’Issy les Moulineaux, Issy les Moulineaux, France
2007| Meeting Point, avec Sudsiri Pui-Ock, PSG Gallery, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thaïlande
2007| Perach Atsitz, Petach-Tikva Museum, Israël
2004| Rose C’est la Vie, Tel Aviv Museum, Israël
2002| In all Manners, L’Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France
2002| White, Paris Project Room, Paris, France
1999| Face and Expressions, Contemporary Aspects, Galerie de l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts, Paris
Teaching
2017-2019| Sculpture classes at Ateliers Terre & Feu, Paris, France
2018| Wax sculpture workshop at Ecole d’Art Thelma Yellin, Israël
2015| Workshop “From object to space”, Ecole Supérieure d’Art et de Design d’Orleans, France
2012| 3D Design, summer semester à Paris College of Art, France
2012| Workshop “Materials, forms and space”, Ecole Supérieure d’Art et de Design d’Orleans, France
2004-2006| Art classes drawing and painting, Maryse Eloy, Paris, France
2003-2006| Photography classes at Mod'Art International, Paris, France
Conferences
2018| École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris
2018| Institut français de la mode, Paris, France
2016| Maison & Objet, Paris, France
2011| Polytechnic West, Section Multimedia, Perth, Australie
2009| Oranim Academic College of Education, Kiryat Tivon, Israël
2008| Ort Hermelin College of Engineering, Natanya, Israël
2008| Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts, Givatayim, Israël
2007| Maryse Eloy, School of Arts and Design, Paris, France
2007| Beaux-Arts de l’université de Chiang-Mai, Thaïlande
Press
2018| Lauréate du Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l’intelligence de la main – Dialogues
https://www.fondationbs.org/fr/culture/metiers-dart/prix-liliane-bettenc...
2018| Le Journal des Arts
https://www.lejournaldesarts.fr/creation/les-laureats-2018-du-prix-lilia...
2018| Connaissance des Arts
https://www.connaissancedesarts.com/actualite-2/le-palmares-2018-du-prix...
2018| Journal du Luxe
https://journalduluxe.fr/laureats-2018-prix-bettencourt/
2018| Intramuros
https://intramuros.fr/evenements/ceremonie-de-remise-des-prix-liliane-be...
2017| Formes de Luxe magazine
http://www.formesdeluxe.com/inspiration/mona-oren-cire-feerique/
2016| Some/Things magazine
https://www.someslashthings.com/online-magazine/2016/7/19/edition-projec...
2016| Blog Esprit Design
https://blog-espritdesign.com/actus/reportage/mona-oren-41057
2016| Deep Throat magazine en ligne
http://www.deepthroat.fr/articles/2016/3/20/lemp/
2016| Moowon magazine en ligne
http://www.moowon.com/stories/primal-forms-from-the-garden-of-eden
2015| Palace Costes magazine N° 60 (France), La cire en majesté par Patricia Khenouna
2015| Marie Claire Maison magazine N° 476 (France), Fée de cire par Adeline Suard
2015| Designer magazine N° 29 (Israël), Handling Wax par Udit Lorraine Belkine
2015| Lady Globes magazine N° 199 (Israël), Killing Them Softly par Galit Hatan
