Chani Cohen ZadaUpside down, 2016

Chani Cohen Zada, Upside down

oil on linen mounted on wood
48 × 48 cm (19 × 19 in)

About the Artwork

Upside Down explores the relationship between the visible and the invisible, the material and the spiritual. Inspired by the Midrash, "I saw a world upside down. The upper was below and the lower was above," Chani Cohen Zada arranges a porcelain bowl and an ornate candlestick into a single unified form that subtly suggests a Star of David. Framed within a circle, the composition invites viewers to reconsider conventional ways of seeing, reminding us that the deepest truths are often revealed only when our perspective is transformed.

Continue reading

The inspiration for the painting comes from the Talmudic and Midrashic image of a world perceived "upside down," where earthly measures of importance are reversed and spiritual values become paramount. Rather than illustrating this teaching directly, Cohen Zada expresses it through the quiet language of form, balance, and carefully observed objects.

The porcelain bowl and the hollow, intricately carved candlestick merge into a geometric composition that evokes the six-pointed Star of David. Its six points suggest the cardinal directions, while its hidden center alludes to the inner spiritual point that cannot be grasped through physical perception alone. The circular format further reinforces the idea that truth cannot be confined to a single fixed viewpoint. Every rotation offers a new way of seeing while the essential center remains unchanged.

By combining familiar household objects into an unexpected visual relationship, Cohen Zada gently challenges the viewer's assumptions. What first appears to be an ordinary still life gradually becomes a meditation on perception itself. The painting suggests that the visible world is not the final reality, but a doorway to deeper understanding for those willing to look beyond appearances.

As throughout Cohen Zada's work, careful observation serves as the foundation for spiritual reflection. Rather than abandoning the material world, she looks at it with greater attentiveness, revealing how ordinary objects may become vessels for profound ideas. The painting embodies her conviction that true seeing begins only when we learn to distinguish between the physical substance of things and the meanings we instinctively impose upon them.

Upside Down ultimately invites us to reorder our priorities. Echoing the wisdom of the Midrash, it reminds us that what appears most important from a purely material perspective may, in truth, be secondary to the unseen realities of the spirit. Through a simple arrangement of everyday objects, Cohen Zada encourages us to see the world anew.

 21,700

In stock

Email