Ravage and Repair: Nava Lubelski

There is something so poetic about the restoration of an object that has been destroyed.  A beauty in the scars, a rejuvenation in the renewal.  It is this juxtaposition that Asheville, NC artist Nava Lubelski seeks to explore in her work.  Seeking to “explore the contradictions between the impulse to destroy and the compulsion to mend,”  she first destroys in order to resurrect.

Sweet Chewy, thread on stained canvas, 12x12

Her initial damages to the surface, through ripping, cutting, spilling of paint/stain are then painstakingly “repaired” by hand-stitching embroidery over and around the holes.

The Sum of Parts, thread on stained canvas, 12x12

Just as when people’s souls, minds, bodies are wounded, the healing process is slow and not always complete, so are the stitched “repairs” in Nava’s work.  The initial destruction has been stopped, but the material can never fully be restored.  What she leaves us with instead, is a new surface, still showing signs of mutilation yet renewed.

003, thread on stained canvas, 24x24

Like Those Monsters, thread on stained canvas, 12x12

To see more of Nava Lubelski’s work, please visit her website.  She is currently showing in NYC, Asheville, Shelbourne, VT and Sydney, Australia.

Featured image is A Story About Frogs, thread on stained muslin, 26×20.  All images are via the artist’s website.