Meet Talented Emerging Artist Hili Slav - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Meet Talented Emerging Artist Hili Slav - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

It is the season of senior art student exhibitions. At colleges around the state, soon-to-be graduated students are putting on shows to celebrate their theses. At Brown RISD Hillel, RISD senior Hili Slav is sharing her work. Titled Radiant Moon, this special solo feature is on view through May 14 and goes beyond a typical student showcase. The show highlights the unique talents of Slav, who is a particularly gifted artist at the start of a promising career.

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A double major in Painting and Furniture at RISD, Slav is an artist of diverse talents. Her exhibition highlights this by mixing exquisitely rendered paintings with finely crafted furniture. Speaking of the way her talents interact, the artist says, “I have been painting for as long as I can remember, but my furniture practice is relatively new. I only started making furniture at RISD when I decided that I wanted to expand my technical skills and work more in three dimensions. I am so happy that I decided to double major in painting and furniture design because I am able to go back and forth between the two - when I get frustrated with my paintings, I can go to the woodshop and work on my furniture and vice versa.”

 

 

Slav’s paintings are often based on family archives. She draws inspiration from a wide range of painters including Vermeer, whose impact can be seen in her glittering scenes that capture light with technical expertise and emotional poignancy.

 

Born in New York to Israeli parents, Slav has been making art from a young age. Although not yet graduated, she has already exhibited her work widely including in exhibitions in Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and New York. Her solo exhibition in Hillel’s gallery space is a culmination of sorts. Slav has been actively involved in the College Hill Jewish community throughout her time at RISD and Hillel has acquired some of her work for its permanent collection.

 

 

Speaking of what it means to her to share her work in Hillel’s Weiner Center on Brown Street, Slav states, “Hillel has been my home away from home these past four years and it has been so special to be able to host my friends and family there. When my close friend entered the gallery for the first time, she said that it looked just like my living room. I’m very involved in Hillel beyond the exhibit - this year I’ve been able to serve as a student board trustee at Hillel and represent the larger Jewish community at RISD.”

 

As she prepared for the show, Slav was able to work closely with Hillel’s Coordinator for Arts Engagement and Education Zo Baker on the exhibition. This provided a talented student with the opportunity to mentor under Baker, an accomplished artist. Describing the collaboration, Slav speaks glowingly of Baker, “This show absolutely could not have happened without Zo. Their insight and experience working in the arts and in Jewish spheres contributed immensely to the success of the show. They are also just incredibly kind and generous and working with them has been a tremendous pleasure.”

 

 

For Slav, sharing her work at Hillel has layers of meaning. Many of her dexterously handled paintings deal with family, memory, and personal history. These artworks also touch on realities of her life as a young Jewish artist, so sharing them in the center of Jewish student life takes on special significance. Asked about the role her Judaism plays in her work, Slav answers, “In my work, and more explicitly in my painting practice, I derive inspiration from my childhood and from family members. Growing up in an Israeli Hebrew-speaking household, celebrating Jewish holidays and customs, my Judaism is inextricably linked to everything I do. I often paint stills from home videos and old photographs from my childhood and past generations.”

 

Radiant Moon is an exhibition of which any established artist would be proud. So to see it produced by an undergraduate student is all the more impressive and indicates bright things ahead. Looking beyond the show, Slav says of her plans, “After graduating from RISD, I want to continue my practice and accept more commissions all while working in arts administration. Grad school is also on the horizon - I would love to deepen my art history knowledge as well as my studio practice - both in painting and furniture.”

 

 

With her remarkable skills and this exceptional solo exhibition under her belt, Slav is undoubtedly ready to take on life after graduation from RISD.

 

Radiant Moon is on view at Brown RISD Hillel at 80 Brown Street through May 14. To plan your visit, go to www.brownrisdhillel.com.

 

Learn more about Hili Slav at her website www.hilislav.net and follow updates from her on Instagram at @hili_makes_art.