Ayala Laufer-Cahana

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Year Participated: 2006

How did showing in the exhibition impact your career as an artist?

“Being part of the Betsy Meyer Memorial Exhibition helped me shape my artistic narrative and allowed me to communicate the importance of Betsy Meyer’s influence on my work and demonstrate the continuity of my artistic journey.”

Artist Statement

Clay entered my life in the last few years with a storm, and enriches my artistic and culinary practice. The tactile joy and transformative nature of the medium, from raw material to a finished piece, mesmerizes me. As my understanding of the medium grows I’m experimenting with new techniques, firing methods, and glazes. I’ve immersed myself in the rich history and traditions of ceramics, drawing inspiration from ancient pottery as well as contemporary artists.

“Rooted in Wonder” is a dynamic abstract sculpture, (can also function as a vase) that blends elements of nature into a harmonious artistic piece. The earthy tones of rich soil and ancient tree bark combine with delicate hints of white and blue reminiscent of the ethereal beauty found in the depths of the ocean and in the sky.

“Rooted in Wonder” is reminiscent of both a rough and textured bark of a mature tree and the echoes of a coral formation.

Artist Biography

I was born in Israel, where I spent most of my childhood. Growing up I was drawn in many directions: to science and scholarship, as well as to working with my hands and to creativity and imagination. After compulsory army service I trained as a physician, practiced Pediatrics, and then moved to the Philadelphia area to complete a fellowship in Medical Genetics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Throughout those years art was my occasional outlet – time permitting – and a constant focus of many day and night-time dreams. I left the practice of clinical medicine several years ago to pursue a lifelong dream of painting and entrepreneurship. I am mostly self taught but have also studied with Philadelphia artists Elizabeth Meyer and Moe Brooker. I exhibit in galleries and juried shows and my work is in private and institutional collections. I see my experience as a physician and medical geneticist reflected in my paintings, as in both, I am exploring the human condition and stand in awe when studying the structure, dynamics, and forces of life.