Artist Elisheva Biernoff dedicates herself to a unique and time-intensive painting method, meticulously recreating historical photographs of unknown individuals. Each artwork, painted on delicate plywood, is a testament to patience and observational skill, demanding months of focused effort. Her exhibition, 'Elsewhere,' now open at David Zwirner in New York City, provides a profound exploration of memory, human connection, and the artistry of slow creation.
Elisheva Biernoff's Exhibition: 'Elsewhere' Opens in New York
In a captivating display that spans over a decade of artistic endeavor, Elisheva Biernoff's inaugural East Coast solo exhibition, 'Elsewhere,' has recently commenced at the sophisticated David Zwirner gallery, nestled in an Upper East Side townhouse in New York. The exhibition, running until February 28, 2026, features 27 works created between 2011 and 2025, offering a comprehensive look at Biernoff's distinctive approach to art. A highlight of the show is 'Road Not Taken' (2024), a newer piece showcasing the artist's exploration of trompe l'oeil through nine intricately hand-painted panels designed to resemble paint-by-number kits. These works, along with her signature photo-based paintings—some as small as four inches—reveal Biernoff's remarkable ability to capture minute details without magnification. Her pieces often derive from photographs taken between the 1950s and 1980s, epochs distinct from the pervasive digital imagery of today, carrying a nostalgic charm. One notable piece, 'Strike' (2021), depicts a tree stump, with its only contextual clue being an inscription on the back: 'Smashed up house after the storm. July 1970,' a detail Biernoff faithfully reproduces, inviting viewers to ponder the untold stories behind the images. Biernoff's process, rooted in her college days at Yale and refined at the California College of the Arts where she earned her MFA in 2009, began with an installation for the San Francisco Art Commission. She solicited family photos from community members, transforming them into painted replicas. This method, which she found deeply connecting, has since become her artistic hallmark. Her work 'Fragment' (2024) further exemplifies her creative interventions, recreating a 1950s postcard of a 12th-century lintel fragment depicting Eve reaching for the forbidden apple. Biernoff not only paints the postcard but also envisions and paints an imaginary message on its reverse, addressed to the Polish poet Wisława Szymborska, reflecting on themes of resurrection and exile.
Biernoff's artistic journey invites us to consider the profound narratives embedded within everyday moments and forgotten images. Her deliberate technique, transforming anonymous photographs into meticulously rendered paintings, challenges our fast-paced consumption of visuals. It serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty found in patience, the depth of human experience, and the quiet dignity of ordinary lives, urging us to look closer, to feel more deeply, and to appreciate the intricate artistry that can reawaken the past.