The exhibition “Daydreamers” is Michal Chelbin’s second solo exhibition at the Chelouche Gallery and is dedicated to fashion photography, including projects created by Chelbin for leading fashion houses such as Dior, Lanvin, and Gucci. The works in this exhibition constitute a rich theme of fascinating visual work that takes place locally and internationally. Chelbin has reached every possible summit while maintaining her personal and inherent photographic language.
Chelbin’s subjects are fragile androgynous bodies, the antithesis of the common fashion model, who carry the burden of youthful beauty on their narrow shoulders – sometimes light and delicate as a feather, often dark and viscous as tar. The armor of high fashion, the symbol of the pinnacle of economic success, turns upon their bodies from a creation of splendor to a veil of discomfort.
”Unforgettable images either fulfill or challenge the viewer’s desires and ambitions”, claimed Irving Penn, the iconic artist-photographer best known for the legendary fashion photographs he created over decades for Vogue magazine. This concept is clearly expressed in Chelbin’s works, which present the act of photography no less than the subject himself. With an exploratory sensitivity, she allows a glimpse into intimate, almost metaphysical moments shared between the photographer and her subject. She raises questions about youth and sexuality, gender fluidity, and alternative types of beauty. Still, just as importantly, she offers comfort and belonging to all those extraordinary human beings who daydream.
Chelbin’s works are found in private and public collections, including the Tel Aviv Museum, Haifa Museum, The Metropolitan, Portland Museum, The Jewish Museum New York, SFMOMA, Getty Center, Sir Elton John’s Photography Collection, and more. She is a regular contributor to the world’s leading magazines, such as the New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, BusinessWeek, GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and Le Monde.
