Artist and chemist Michal Gavish wants viewers to consider the complexity and fragility of humans’ inner biology. In her 3-D drawing and painting installations, she magnifies imagery of DNA and protein structures to a human scale. She also introduces color, giving a new presence to living formations that are invisible to the naked eye.
Gavish focuses on the stresses placed on DNA and proteins by a changing environment. Her artwork is based on specific scientific models and laboratory data acquired through her ongoing collaborations with biologists and chemists. With her use of soft and fragile materials, she invites her audience to consider the vulnerability of biological structures and the delicate balance that is essential for human vitality.
Gavish is a multimedia artist and freelance art critic based in Washington, DC. Her work is exhibited in solo and group shows nationally and internationally. She received her MFA in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute. Previously, she earned a PhD in physical chemistry, which continues to inform her art practice. She creates installations and videos inspired by her science background and her ongoing collaborations with scientists. She was recently featured in The Seeds of Creation by Cosmina Ene, a book about 18 contemporary women artists. Gavish lectures and teaches art and science at the college level and is a staff writer at SciArt Magazine.