Nir Hod (b.1970, Tel Aviv, Israel) Lives and works in New York, USA and studied at Jerusalem's Bezalel Academy, as well as New York's Cooper Union School of Art.
Drawing from his memories, as well as harrowing historical events, Hod instills a delicate tension that challenges the viewer’s expectations within his paintings through the use of material. Hod is known for his chrome canvases, which use a unique method he developed after visiting a fabrication workshop. His paintings undergo an intense process that was originally developed by the US Navy in 1939. Through a meticulous, and at times ruthless approach, the canvases are manipulated through the use of ammonia, acids, and air pressure over washes of oil underpainting. Hod focuses on the resulting reflective sheens, which achieve a remarkable transformation, momentarily shifting an abstract composition into a figurative painting, casting the viewer’s image onto the work itself.
Selected solo exhibitions include Echo of Memories, Kotaro Nukaga Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2022); Exile, Gavlak Gallery, Palm Beach (2022); The Life We Left Behind, Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles (2020); The Life We Left Behind, Gavlak Gallery, Palm Bech (2018); The Life We Left Behind, Makasiini Contemporary Gallery, Finland (2018); Life and Death of a Star, Michael Fuchs Gallery, Berlin , Germany (2015); “Once Every Thing Was Much Better Even the Future”, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York (2014); “Mother,” Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York (2012); “Genius,” Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York (2011); “Nova 7,” Alon Segev Gallery, Israel (2008); “Faded Heartache,” Davide Gallo Gallery , Berlin (2007); “You Are Not Alone,” Jack Shainman Gallery, New York (2006); “Forever,” Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv (2005); “Luna a Las Vegas,” Alon Segev Gallery, Tel Aviv (2005).
Selected group exhibitions include All Tomorrow Parties , Domicile, Los Angeles (2021); Still still Life, Sara Hilden Art Museum, Curated by Sarianne Soikkonen, Finland (2020); Vision, Curators: David Kratz and Stephanie Roach, Southampton Arts Center (2020); Autumn Collection, Makasiini Contemporary Gallery, Finland (2020); Imperfect Clocks, Chart Gallery, New York (2020); Fixed Contained, curated by Tomokazu Matsuyama, Kotaro Nukaga Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2020); First Person Singular Masculinities in Israeli Art, Ashdod Art Museum, Israel (2019); New Acquisitions, “Scenes From The Collection” The jewish Museum, New York (2019); Inaugural exhibition, Gavlak Gallery, Los Angeles (2019); The Bunker, 2018 – 2019 session curated by Maynard Monrow, Palm Beach (2018); Shop It, Haifa Museum of Art (2018); Dancing Goddesses, Dio Horia gallery, Mykonos, Greek (2018); PAINTING, Sarah Gavlak Gallery, Palm Beach (2018); Points of light In A Nocturnal World, 7 Hekimer Place / Metro Picture (2018); THE BUNKER, West Palm Beach
2017 ACCROCHAGE, Michael Fuchs Gallery. Berlin (2017); Dreama and Dramas, Zuzeum Art Center and Latvia National Museum, Riga, Latvia (2017); Grisaille, Leila Heller Gallery, New York (2017); Art Goes Logomo, Markasiini Contemporary, Turko, Finland (2017); Flaming June VII. Gavlak Gallery, Los Angels (2017); Opulent Landscapes, De Buck Gallery, New York (2017); AnonimX: The End of the Privacy Era, Haifa Museum of Art (2017); Greek Gotham, Dio Horia gallery, Mykonos, Greek (2016); SOMETHING, Berry Campbell Gallery, New York (2016); Prima Facie, Works From Igal Ahouvi Art Collection The Babel Trilogy, Part 4, The Genia Schreiber University Art Gallery, Tel Aviv (2015); Superwoman, Petach Tikva Museum, Israel (2015); Winter in America, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York (2015); Look At Me: Portraiture From Manet To The Present, Leila Heller Gallery, New York (2014); A l’etage au found Upstairs in the back, Galerie Aveline Antiquaire, Paris (2013); FLAG’s 5th Anniversary, The FLAG Art Foundation, New York (2013); The Concept of Baroque in Contemporary Art, Henrik Springmann Gallery, Berlin (2013); Calligraffiti 1984 – 2013, Leila Heller Gallery, New York (2013); Amor Fati, Pioneer Works Center for Art and Innovation, Brooklyn New York (2013); “LADIES & GENTS”, Salomon Contemporary, New York (2013); “BAD FOR YOU”, Curated by Beth Dewoody Rudin, Shirazu Gallery, London (2012); Permanent Collection at the New Building, Tel Aviv Museum, Israel (2011); “Art Basel Miami Beach,” Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York (2010); “Plank Road,” Salomon Contemporary, New York“ (2010); Natural Renditions,” Marlborogh Gallery, New York (2010); “Pink”, curated by Beth Dewoody Rudin, Gavlak Gallery, Plam Beach (2010); “Monuments in time,” Michael Schultz Gallery, Beijing (2010); “Wall Rockets: Contemporary Artists and Ed Ruscha,” curated by Lisa Dennison, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo New York (2009).
Selected bibliography: Writings about Nir Hod have been published by publishers such as Whitehot Magazine, Galerie Magazine, Artnet, Nasty Magazine, Whitewall, Artsy, Art & Object, Widewalls, Soar Magazine, The Art Newspaper, The Standard Culture, Artfino, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Vulture, Artlog, The Wall Street Journal, Elle, Vogue and Love Magazine.
Nir Hod has also had his own writings published, including “Once Everything Was Much Better Even The Future,” Hardcover 119 pages (2015); a book of an exhibition held at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Hardcover 236 pages, English and Hebrew (2005); “Last Letters to Anna” Album, Helicon Records, (2000); Catalogue (1999); “FOREVER” Keter Publication House, 1997 Hard Cover 122 Pages (1997).