FUTURE FAIR NEW YORK

MAY 2025

Rachel Rubenstein

May 7 - May 10

Booth T6

KALINER is pleased to present a solo show by Rachel Rubenstein at Future Fair 2025 at Booth T6.

Living and working in San Diego, CA, Rachel Rubenstein takes inspiration from her upbringing in California. Embracing a process-driven approach to abstraction, Rubenstein embarks on an ongoing journey of discovery and experimentation which has become a defining element in her work. Parts of canvas are meticulously affixed, torn, and repeatedly manipulated, sometimes undergoing multiple iterations. The work is punctuated by the textures of what’s been left behind. The horizontal lines symbolize fluctuating thoughts or patterns, became Rubenstein’s visual vocabulary. They are expanding or contracting in response to varying circumstances. The artwork is evolving into a reflection of the artist’s innermost self, offering a raw and intimate glimpse into her emotional journey, utilizing distressed canvas as the medium of expression.

This body of work marks a deeply personal chapter for the artist. Created during a challenging period, the series became a form of emotional restoration—a way of navigating darkness and finding light. Many of the materials were first explored during the artist’s time in New York, and the layered textures reflect the energy and grit of that experience. In contrast, the color palette draws inspiration from California, where the artist now lives. The warmth of the sun, the natural surroundings, and a renewed sense of calm are evident in the tones and compositions. Together, these works bridge two defining environments, capturing a journey from tension to tranquility.

“I think these new series is almost like a love letter to myself. I look at it, and I think, wow! I have transmuted some pain into beauty, and that's really what my work tends to be about.”

Rachel Rubenstein

A sense of tension associated with almost violent process cannot be ignored as the artist delves deeper into the inner realm, examining difficult emotions and uncomfortable feelings. By repeatedly pouring pools of fluid acrylic onto the canvas, her work acquires a sense of vitality and substantiality, enhancing its transformative quality. Her sense of emotionality combined with color and texture create a visual experience. Making use of acrylics, gels, and canvas, she thinks of the surface as an emotional entity, navigating a rigorous process to show what it is to transform. The deconstructed surfaces embody emotional landscapes, with the canvas itself becoming a metaphor for life's complexities. Through this evocative technique, viewers are offered a chance to contemplate their own emotional journeys and the transformative power of resilience, ultimately emphasizing the importance of embracing and exploring one’s emotions.

Passionate about healing and growth, Rubenstein is painting in response to her inner world, and centered around themes of transformation and renewal, resonates powerfully within the current global political and cultural landscape. In a time marked by rapid change and evolving narratives around painful or positive changes, personal or collective identity shifts, Rubenstein’s paintings offer a space to reflect on these transformations. Her pieces—layered with texture and depth—invite viewers to confront the constant flux that shapes both our inner lives and societal structures.