Chani Cohen Zada

About the Artist

Chani Cohen Zada is an Israeli painter whose work is rooted in close observation, technical discipline, and a profound sensitivity to the relationship between perception and reality. Through painting, she explores the tension between what we believe we see and what is actually present before us, inviting viewers to look beyond assumptions and engage more deeply with the material world.

Reflecting on her artistic approach, Cohen Zada explains:

"One of the main obstacles that a novice painter encounters when he comes to paint from observation is a conceptual conflict. This is because everything is actually made up of two things: meaning, and substance. The mind refers to the world through its meaning for us, and not through its materiality. Therefore, the painter often gives an iconic interpretation of what he sees, which is not compatible with reality. It takes many hours of training to teach the brain to separate these two things and pass on to the painter the relevant information for the painting, which is the material interpretation only."

This pursuit of seeing clearly—free from preconceptions and symbolic shortcuts—lies at the heart of Cohen Zada's artistic practice. Her paintings reveal a careful balance between observation and interpretation, encouraging viewers to rediscover the beauty and complexity of the visible world.