Roy Mordechay
I see your reflection in a spoon
What happens when we see another person’s reflection in a spoon? The image is often distorted and warped, presenting a view far removed from the reality we perceive in “ordinary life”. This altered perspective invites us to reconsider how we interpret the world, challenging our familiar experience of things. Much like the curved surface of a spoon, Roy Mordechay’s art encourages us to look again, to see anew.
Roy Mordechay, an Israel-born artist based in Düsseldorf, creates works that are playful, bold, and layered with possible meanings. His paintings, drawings, and sculptures blur the boundaries between semiotic codes, mixing the referential and the symbolic, the historical and the mythical, the realistic and the fictional. This “enigmatic potential”, as Mordechay describes it, allows the viewer’s imagination to roam freely, crafting personal narratives rather than being spoon-fed a story.
Visually, Mordechay’s creatures often invoke an old-world charm, while other elements burst with vibrant, modern hues. This contrast is intentional, reflecting a blend of popular culture with more timeless, historical references. The use of “coneheads” in his paintings, for instance, speaks to his personal experiences as an Israeli artist in Europe, merging Jewish identity with broader cultural symbols. The resulting images float between meanings, resisting a single interpretation, and inviting viewers to decode how stories are told and understood.
In the works on show, recurring motifs such as white clouds, coffee mugs, and A4 papers all embody Mordechay’s fascination with transformation. Through their evolving forms, these motifs reflect the painting’s fluid, ever-changing nature, much like how a cloud constantly shifts in shape. Their simple, cartoon-like styles contrast with the more textured aspects of the works, introducing a modern, almost digital quality. This dynamic interplay underscores the broader theme of metamorphosis present in Mordechay’s work, reflecting a narrative of change, adaptation, and reinterpretation.
Mordechay’s artistic process is deeply rooted in materiality and gesture. He is involved in every stage, from priming the canvas to crafting his own frames and mixing pigments. His method navigates between intention and accident, allowing the work to evolve organically. Mordechay moves fluidly between deliberate actions and spontaneous impulses, creating a dynamic exchange between thought and feeling, cognition and affect. This balance is crucial to his process. As he progresses from one medium to another, he remains attuned to the tensions and harmonies within the work. He keeps working until he is unsure whether to add more or if the work is complete. This moment of uncertainty is productive, offering him the space to reflect and make deliberate choices, ultimately guiding the artwork to its final form.
Mordechay’s art is infused with irony and humor, and even the titles of his pieces serve to open new interpretive doors, adding layers rather than providing a definition. The fluidity and openness of his art resists traditional narrative structures, offering instead a space for contemplation. By doing so, Mordechay’s art becomes a journey without a clear destination – an exploration of stories that engage the viewer’s mind and emotions in equal measure.
Roy Mordechay (*1976) was born in Haifa, Israel, and lives in Düsseldorf, Germany. He studied at the School of New Media in Musrara, Jerusalem, and the Avni Institute of Art and Design in Tel Aviv. Recent exhibitions include Heel to Toe at Nir Altman in Munich, 2023, Silent Partners at PLUS-ONE Gallery in Antwerp, 2024, and Bodies, Grids, and Ecstasy at KAI10 Arthena Foundation in Düsseldorf, 2024. He recently received the Kunstfonds-Stipendium and is one of 16 finalists for a permanent artwork for the Cologne Cathedral.
Mordechay’s works are part of public and private collections such as Philara Collection, Düsseldorf; The Contemporary Art Collection of the Federal Republic of Germany; and Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf. I see your reflection in a spoon marks Roy Mordechay’s first solo exhibition at JVDW gallery.
– text by Merit Zimmermann
Portrait by Tillmann Franzen
Roy Mordechay
I see your reflection in a spoon
What happens when we see another person’s reflection in a spoon? The image is often distorted and warped, presenting a view far removed from the reality we perceive in “ordinary life”. This altered perspective invites us to reconsider how we interpret the world, challenging our familiar experience of things. Much like the curved surface of a spoon, Roy Mordechay’s art encourages us to look again, to see anew.
Roy Mordechay, an Israel-born artist based in Düsseldorf, creates works that are playful, bold, and layered with possible meanings. His paintings, drawings, and sculptures blur the boundaries between semiotic codes, mixing the referential and the symbolic, the historical and the mythical, the realistic and the fictional. This “enigmatic potential”, as Mordechay describes it, allows the viewer’s imagination to roam freely, crafting personal narratives rather than being spoon-fed a story.
Visually, Mordechay’s creatures often invoke an old-world charm, while other elements burst with vibrant, modern hues. This contrast is intentional, reflecting a blend of popular culture with more timeless, historical references. The use of “coneheads” in his paintings, for instance, speaks to his personal experiences as an Israeli artist in Europe, merging Jewish identity with broader cultural symbols. The resulting images float between meanings, resisting a single interpretation, and inviting viewers to decode how stories are told and understood.
In the works on show, recurring motifs such as white clouds, coffee mugs, and A4 papers all embody Mordechay’s fascination with transformation. Through their evolving forms, these motifs reflect the painting’s fluid, ever-changing nature, much like how a cloud constantly shifts in shape. Their simple, cartoon-like styles contrast with the more textured aspects of the works, introducing a modern, almost digital quality. This dynamic interplay underscores the broader theme of metamorphosis present in Mordechay’s work, reflecting a narrative of change, adaptation, and reinterpretation.
Mordechay’s artistic process is deeply rooted in materiality and gesture. He is involved in every stage, from priming the canvas to crafting his own frames and mixing pigments. His method navigates between intention and accident, allowing the work to evolve organically. Mordechay moves fluidly between deliberate actions and spontaneous impulses, creating a dynamic exchange between thought and feeling, cognition and affect. This balance is crucial to his process. As he progresses from one medium to another, he remains attuned to the tensions and harmonies within the work. He keeps working until he is unsure whether to add more or if the work is complete. This moment of uncertainty is productive, offering him the space to reflect and make deliberate choices, ultimately guiding the artwork to its final form.
Mordechay’s art is infused with irony and humor, and even the titles of his pieces serve to open new interpretive doors, adding layers rather than providing a definition. The fluidity and openness of his art resists traditional narrative structures, offering instead a space for contemplation. By doing so, Mordechay’s art becomes a journey without a clear destination – an exploration of stories that engage the viewer’s mind and emotions in equal measure.
Roy Mordechay (*1976) was born in Haifa, Israel, and lives in Düsseldorf, Germany. He studied at the School of New Media in Musrara, Jerusalem, and the Avni Institute of Art and Design in Tel Aviv. Recent exhibitions include Heel to Toe at Nir Altman in Munich, 2023, Silent Partners at PLUS-ONE Gallery in Antwerp, 2024, and Bodies, Grids, and Ecstasy at KAI10 Arthena Foundation in Düsseldorf, 2024. He recently received the Kunstfonds-Stipendium and is one of 16 finalists for a permanent artwork for the Cologne Cathedral.
Mordechay’s works are part of public and private collections such as Philara Collection, Düsseldorf; The Contemporary Art Collection of the Federal Republic of Germany; and Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf. I see your reflection in a spoon marks Roy Mordechay’s first solo exhibition at JVDW gallery.
– text by Merit Zimmermann
Portrait by Tillmann Franzen
info@jvdw.gallery
+49 211 868 1703
Schirmerstrasse 61
Backyard
40211 Duesseldorf
Germany
info@jvdw.gallery
+49 211 868 1703
Schirmerstrasse 61
Backyard
40211 Duesseldorf
Germany