The Life and Career of Irit Hemmo

Jerusalem, 1961. This is where the trajectory of Irit Hemmo begins. An Israeli citizen by birth, she develops a practice that refuses to settle into a single medium. Her work moves between the precision of a draftsperson and the expansive possibilities of an installation artist. She operates through the lens of a photographer and the hand of an artist, navigating the space between captured light and physical construction.

Her career is marked by a presence in significant Israeli art spaces. In 1994, her work reaches New York through a solo exhibition at the Bertha Urdang Gallery. This period marks a transition into the professional sphere, establishing her presence beyond the borders of her home country. She works across various formats, from works on paper to complex installations, often engaging with the physical properties of her materials.

The practice remains active and multifaceted. Hemmo continues to engage with the contemporary scene, contributing to major exhibitions such as the Fourth Biennale for Drawing in Israel at the Artists' House in Jerusalem. Her output spans decades, moving from early works on paper in the 1990s to more recent explorations of space and texture. She remains a significant figure in the landscape of Israeli contemporary art.

Key Works and Artistic Series

The early 1990s find Hemmo working within the constraints of paper. In 1993, she produced an Untitled work as part of a series titled "Works on Paper." This period of experimentation continues into her later drawings, such as an Untitled crayon paper drawing on paper measuring 95 x 135 cm. These works emphasize the tactile nature of the medium, focusing on the physical interaction between pigment and surface.

A shift occurs in the mid-2000s. Between 2007 and 2008, she created Untitled (Plants), moving toward more specific subject matter. This focus on organic forms leads into the "Dust Storm" Series. Between 2011 and 2013, she produced Merzbau, a work that anchors this specific collection. The series explores atmospheric textures and the interplay of light and shadow through a lens of abstraction.

Where to See the Works Today

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, serves as a primary repository for her artistic output. Within this institution, which houses approximately 500,000 items, her presence is felt through specific holdings that represent her engagement with form and material. Visitors looking for her contributions to contemporary Israeli art find her work integrated into the museum's vast, diverse collections.

One notable piece held by the museum is Merzbau, a work from the "Dust Storm" series. This piece exists as part of the permanent collection in Jerusalem. The museum's scale ensures that her work sits alongside a massive breadth of historical and contemporary artifacts, placing her practice within a much larger, complex cultural landscape.