BIO
b. 1979

Tamar Halpern (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, works on paper, and sculpture, all rooted in photography. Through abstraction, Halpern explores materiality, fragmentation, and transformation.

They received a BFA from the College of Santa Fe, NM, and an MFA from Columbia University in 2005. Their work has been exhibited extensively in solo exhibitions at The Journal Gallery (NYC), Black Ball Projects (Brooklyn), and Nino Mier (Los Angeles). Halpern has been represented by Office Baroque Gallery (Belgium), On Stellar Rays, and D’Amelio Gallery (New York). Their work has been featured in notable group exhibitions, including Greater New York at MoMA PS1 and The Sculpture Center (NY). Halpern’s work has been reviewed in Interview Magazine, The New Yorker, Artforum, and The New York Times.

Their pieces are part of prominent collections, including those of Marciano, Kravis, Rosenblum, Jay Jopling, and Thea Westreich. They currently live and work in Brooklyn, New York.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work explores the ways in which immaterial energy shapes our collective consciousness, moving beyond individuality to consider the interconnected nature of creativity. If life is a continuous process of creation and transformation, how do we understand creativity within it?

My studio is my sanctuary—a space where I cultivate compassion and understanding through an intimate relationship with materials and process. Engaging in constant dialogue with my materials and inner voice, I follow unexpected paths that reveal new insights. The fragmented elements I incorporate—silk, photographs, found objects, hands, and feet—reflect my ongoing exploration of identity. These artifacts, often deconstructed, layered, or splayed apart, embody my ritual of transformation.

For me, process is inseparable from meaning—style is not just a formal choice but part of the subject itself. The depth between layers speaks to my lived experience, evoking both duration and the stillness of transition. Making art slows the pressure to define myself, allowing both my identity and practice to remain in constant evolution. By mirroring my studio practice in daily life, I affirm my presence and existence. My work is a tangible manifestation of the questions I explore—questions of visibility, presence, and the evidence of life itself.