‘Strive for the greatest simplicity by means of the most intimate observation. This is greatness.’ Extract from the journal of Paula Modersohn-Becker 1903

Liorah Tchiprout is an outstanding young artist who we have had the pleasure to know for the last 3 years and yesterday we had a day out together at the Royal Academy exhibition ‘Making Modernism’ . She draws inspiration from her Jewish heritage and her work navigates feelings about belonging, girlhood and the theatrical, particularly the lives and emotions of her own handmade puppets. In the catalogue for her most recent solo exhibition of new work the Director of the Ben Uri Gallery and Museum , Sarah MacDougall, wrote the following about Liorah.

‘ A contemporary artist working firmly within the figurative tradition of women artists including Kathe Kollwitz and particularly Paula Rego, Liorah Tchiprout’s contemplative portraits of women are powerful, potent meditations on unease. Her muted palette, sometimes shot through with blues, greens and oranges, provides a suitable backdrop to their unknown and seemingly unknowable narratives ( although she is also a skilful etcher, equally at home in monochrome). Indeed Tchiprout deliberately plays with our narrative expectations by juxtaposing her images with texts that occasionally illuminate, sometimes subvert, and almost always contribute to the prevailing disquiet. Hers is a distinctive voice conjuring up a memorable and unsettling vision.’

She was selected for the highly prestigious ‘New Contemporaries’ group in 2021 which has held a vital role in the development of young artists since 1949 and previous alumni include Frank Auerbach, Paula Rego, David Hockney, Frank Bowling and Damien Hurst . So lets be honest Liorah is in good company here!

Liorah is firmly establishing herself as ‘one to watch’ in the contemporary art scene and when the director of the Ben Uri mentions her in the same sentence at Paula Rego and Kathe Kollwitz it seemed like an opportunity not to be missed viewing the current exhibition together at the R.A.

All three of us found the exhibition inspiring, and the work by Kathe Kollwitz and Paula Modersohn-Becker to be particularly tender, honest and emotional. Below are 3 of my favourites by Kollwitz.

And here 3 of my favourites by Modersohn-Becker.

For me it was interesting to see the development of these women artists and how in a male dominated world they took inspiration from their adopted natural surroundings, often painting friends, still life and themselves . Modersohn-Becker died at the age of 31 years and we can only guess how her work would have developed but Kollwitz had a full life and married a doctor, moved to Berlin and both worked amongst the poor factory employees and their families. Kollwitz was able to record the harsh life these people led and the tragedy of mothers loosing children.

The last 3 years have, in a way through circumstance placed Liorah in a similar position to these artists, albeit a century on. When the COVID epidemic broke out in 2020, movement became restricted and access to her printing workshops hard. The result was that Liorah took inspiration from her own natural surroundings and began to paint what she had available in the same way that Kollwitz and Modersohn-Becker did all those years previous. Thankfully, during her printing course in Brighton she had taken one particular module that led her to construct a company of puppets . These were inspired by the Modicut Yiddish Theatre Company (1926-33) and during lockdown they became a form of extended family who Liorah could use as models and paint. It was during lock down that Liorah started to paint in oils on board and she has developed her craft in a short period of time as she, like Modersohn-Becker, strives for the greatest simplicity by means of the most intimate observation.

We have no doubt that Liorah Tchiprout will become a household name at some point in the future but for now she continues to develop her printing and oil painting side by side. We are very much looking forward to seeing her next body of work and to offering a selection for sale at Connect Art Fair in March 2023!

Do contact us if you would like to receive details of her new work.

Mel & Mark Ponting

The images above are from a 2022 visit to Liorah’s studio showing small oils on panels and larger monotypes.