By: Lexi Wolf
Libby Klein is an Israeli and Jewish emerging artist, wife, and mother. She transitioned from a decade-long career in education to pursue her passion for art after the birth of her fifth child. Her work, characterized by its texture, light, and energy, quickly gained critical acclaim and a dedicated following. As an Orthodox Jewish woman, Klein seeks to dispel stereotypes about orthodox life, illustrating through her vibrant and evocative paintings that creativity and spirituality can coexist harmoniously. Recently she has made waves in the art world, premiering her work at Art Basel for the first time before being selected by Youth America Grand Prix to design her own pointe shoe alongside Cynthia Rowley, Carolina Herrera, Alice and Olivia, and Dennis Basso. She sat down to talk about her artistic process, her inspirations, her traditions and her style.
Can you share a bit about your background?
I am a full-time mother of five, an entrepreneur and an inspirational speaker. I was born in Israel and moved to the States when my dad passed away when I was five years old. Although I wasn’t old enough to remember the culture Israeli streets have to offer, I vividly remember walking the old city streets and I can still feel the cold stones on my fingertips to this day.
How would you describe your artistic style?
I consider myself an abstract artist with just enough sketch to tell a story. I tell my story through textured art. Every piece has an energy that flows through the abstractness of the creation. In many of my pieces, I add gold leaf and even some gemstones to signify the legacy we are a part of. Most importantly when the piece is done, regardless of the message, it must be beautiful. I try to represent the beauty in our lives.
What message do you hope viewers take away from your art?
That life is beautiful even when it’s not perfect. Nobody wants to see a picture of a giraffe that looks like a giraffe – you can just go to the zoo for that. I want my art to make you think. My inspiration is a bee because a bee doesn’t know its limitations. It doesn’t know that its weight is too much for them to fly, but it flies anyway. In life we often don’t have a choice on our surroundings, but we do have a choice on how we react towards it
Do you collaborate with your clients for their commissioned pieces?
Yes; my goal with every client is to bring out their feelings and put it on canvas. I recently created a piece for a family that lost their father. It was a beautiful piece, showing the dad holding hands with his kids walking towards the sunset. I must’ve spent hours with the client to understand who their dad was and what he meant to them.
Libby Klein is currently showing her work at Carlton Fine Arts in Manhattan, and she is among the artists featured at this year’s Hamptons Fine Art Fair taking place from July 11th through July 14th at the Southampton Fairgrounds in Southampton, NY. Tickets for the fair can be purchased at https://hamptonsfineartfair.com/tickets/
Published by: Holy Minoza
