Nava’s images are sometimes organic, psychedelic, meditative, virused or violent. Only lately has she begun to stain the fabrics herself. She creates an obsessive homage through embroidery and stitching. Most of us would balk at the prospects of dealing with discoloration on our clothes, but Nava celebrates it, fastidiously clinging to the forms and random designs that are present, aged, spewed across the fabrics. Whether the stain is identifiable or not, it becomes the inspiration and source of Nava’s expressive journey. Nava collects old fabrics, shmatas: tablecloths, napkins, dresses, all stained. Nava did not identify herself as Jewish, yet her work can easily be read as an extension of so many of our bubbes’ and zaydes’ experiences in the new world. Nava asked me squarely: “why are you interested in Jewish themes?” Over fresh baked bread, we talked about our work, and, as there often is in non-Jewish circles, there was curiosity about the Jewish themes dominating my work.
I met Nava Lubelski on an artist’s retreat in Johnson, Vermont, at the first supper of the retreat.
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