Yeal Sternberg. Recent Work. 2025
Text Dr. Lily Fürstenow
DE
Yael Sternbergs jüngste Gemälde zeigen üppige Vegetation in voller Blüte, ganz in Blaugrün- und Azurblau-Tönen, dargestellt in wellenförmigen Linien und geschwungenen Formen. Diese fließende, fast ornamentale Vegetation wirkt sanft und opulent. Menschliche Figuren sind in die natürlichen Formen der Pflanzen und Vegetation eingewoben. Die Schatten der Haut und der Pflanzen wirken schimmernd, und das Wasser glänzt und funkelt im Licht. Die Hauttöne der Menschen und das Fleisch der Pflanzen werden als schimmernde Oberflächen mit Farben dargestellt, die im Sonnenlicht erstrahlen.
EN
Yael Sternberg’s new cycle of paintings presents a complex visual language in which vegetal abundance and the human form are woven into a unified ornamental field. The predominance of blue-green tonalities—ranging from aqueous azure to muted turquoise—establishes a chromatic atmosphere that is both immersive and otherworldly. Vegetation is articulated through elongated, curvilinear lines that suggest growth as much as motion, producing a rhythm that recalls the fluid dynamics of water or wind. Within this visual continuum, human figures are not inserted as discrete entities but rather emerge from, and dissolve back into, the surrounding organic structures.
The handling of light and surface is particularly significant: shadows are not cast in a naturalistic manner but shimmer across skin and foliage alike, creating a continuity between the corporeal and the botanical. This treatment destabilizes conventional boundaries between figure and ground, instead proposing a shared ontology of flesh and plant matter. The glistening, iridescent surfaces evoke both the tactility of living tissue and the ephemerality of sunlight on water, positioning the paintings within a discourse on sensorial perception as much as representation.
In this way, the works resist traditional hierarchies between human subject and natural environment. By rendering both as languid, ornamental forms suffused with light, the paintings articulate a vision of luxuriance that is at once corporeal, ecological, and aesthetic.
Biography
Yael Shternberg is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, textile design, digital art, installation, and performance. Born in Israel, she studied jewelry and fashion design at the prestigious Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, where she developed a deep understanding of form, texture, and movement.
Her journey as an artist has taken her across the world—from interning with avant-garde fashion collectives in New York to establishing her own studio, where she created unique, hand-sewn garments featuring her original textile prints. Yael’s passion for the human form led her to design costumes for dancers, acrobats, and theater productions, exploring the dynamic relationship between body and art.
In 2017, she relocated to Berlin, where she immersed herself in the city’s thriving creative scene, exhibiting paintings and illustrations while expanding into large-scale installations. Over the last two years, she has lived in an eco-village in Costa Rica, deepening her connection to Pachamama, the sacred feminine, and the healing power of art. Her current work integrates earth-inspired materials, ritual, and energy into immersive visual experiences.
Yael is also the founder of YASH Yoga Wear, an independent clothing brand that merges her artistic vision with sustainable fashion, featuring psychedelic, hand-designed prints on high-quality yoga wear. Through her brand and installations, she continues to explore the intersection of movement, spirituality, and artistic expression.
