A Storm in Grandma’s Tea Set: Amit Berman on roughness and nostalgia

«Roughness has been present in my work since the beginning; as a self-taught artist, I used to paint naively, working with what I had and expressing myself in raw ways» – Amit Berman

Painting as a self-exploration of one’s own sense of living – introducing Amit Berman

The artistic production of Amit Berman is like a visual autobiography in which memories, situations, and people from his life intertwine seamlessly. For a few years, he has been in the midst of an explorative journey of his sense of living and perceiving reality. Berman’s practice investigates universal themes through a strictly personal lens: nostalgia, belonging, romance and intimacy as well as other emotional spheres of the human condition are at the core of his canvases.

Gifted with a creative flair from an early age, Berman was convinced that his talent would be channeled into the rigid, regulated world of architecture. After moving to Milan to study at the Polytechnic, he was forced to make a sudden change of plans by the outbreak of COVID-19 and the end of an unfitting relationship. Left alone in his apartment, he found comfort in painting and began planting the seeds of his personal practice and research around the human figure. 

The impact of COVID-19 and the transition to figurative art

«Although I have been drawing since I was young, my drawing was mainly about urban landscapes and architecture. During the pandemic I started a path of introspection that brought me back to nostalgic pre-COVID moments, when life used to be more tender – he explains. Alone at home, I started looking through some art books that I had around me, and I asked myself:  why am I not allowing myself to paint figures?». 

As a self-taught artist, Berman felt like he lacked some of the structures that art academies provide to trained artists. Nonetheless, he was looking for a way to express himself beyond the fear of failure. Isolation proved to be a safe space in which he could freely engage in the exploration of the body representation and his own representation, including his relationships and the surroundings that serve as a backdrop to the events of his daily life. «Roughness has been present in my work since the very beginning; as a self-taught artist, I used to paint naively, working with what I had and expressing myself in raw ways», he says about the first stages of his artistic journey.

Romantic relationships fuel Amit Berman’s practice – Milk and Cookies exhibition in Milan

The imagery that populates his paintings is composed of figures that are inspired by his personal experiences: «My partners, myself, and more rarely close friends and family. Usually there is a romantic relationship between the figures», claims Berman. However, he rarely depicts more than one subject at a time, and the lack of affectionate interactions makes the interpretation of the artwork more complex, leaving the viewer with the task of figuring the circumstances.

«I strive for this enigma that leads people not to know what’s going on and what the scene is about. Because I like to tell stories, I would usually leave two or three doors open that lead to different interpretative paths». The mystical aura enveloping his paintings stems from the naming of the works, the composition of the scenes, and from symbolism. Jemma Elliott-Israelson, the curator of the exhibition Milk and Cookies hosted by Tube Culture Hall, Milan, highlights a striking contrast in Berman work. Although his palettes are pastel and the imagery refined, enveloped in a calming atmosphere, the naming often reveals a darker side, some kind of emotional turmoil. This divergence emerges in works such as A Dimmed Memory of Where I Used to Live (2023) and A Storm in Grandma’s Tea Set (2023), which Isrealson chose for the exhibition poster. 

Milk and Cookies addressed the idea of interior life through figurative painting

The Milk and Cookies group show elevates mundane moments and details into paintings, crystallizing them in time and space. The title suggests domestic feelings of safety and warmth, and at the same time, aims to create an intimate and direct connection with the audience. «The aim of the exhibition was to address the idea of ​​interior life through figurative painting. At the heart of the works are simple, intimate moments that no one would even share on social media. And for me, Amit’s interior scenes were an obvious choice right from the start», explains Israelson. 

Through the show, the curator draws a parallel between art history and contemporaneity: the Impressionists were among the firsts to include elements of modern life into their paintings, likewise, the scenes depicted by the five artists she selected incorporate all kinds of everyday objects, technologic devices, and labels. «Amit did so by placing a cell phone on the table together with his grandmother’s tea set in A Storm in Grandma’s Tea Set. This approach brings a new, fresh perspective to figurative painting that can connect with younger audiences and collectors». 

A Storm in Grandma’s Tea Set by Amit Berman – the exhibition poster

A Storm in Grandma’s Tea Set is one of the three works Berman showcased in Milan along with Sometimes I Sink Like a Stone That Still Manages to Drift (2023) – where a male body lies on the floor in front of an open window overlooking the dome of the Florence Cathedral, creating a tension between the pastel palette and the anguish evoked by the helpless body, paralyzed by fear and uncertainty for the future – and Sowing (2024). The latter was created specifically for the show and depicts Berman’s boyfriend in a snug, childish pose. The rose tattooed on the boy’s arm represents the planting of seeds, the commitment necessary to make a relationship last and flourish.

«These three works deal with the themes of nostalgia and look back to significant moments in my life, that can look mundane and normal in the eye of the viewer. A Storm in Grandma’s Tea Set might seem a simple table with cookies and coffee, but it tells a story that refers to a nostalgic family moment. At the same time, it says something about my personal life in the period in which I painted it; sometimes I take an event that happened a few years before and project it into my current challenges», says Berman. 

Photography is the starting ground for Amit Berman’s interior scenes

Berman’s interest in architecture is evident in the compositional structure of his interior scenes, where he carefully places furnishings, objects and details that enhance the drama and turmoil experienced by his subjects. Photography serves as a starting point, providing the artist with foundations rooted in reality to which he adds layers of imagination and symbolism. «I like to include a sort of surrealism and even abstraction in some areas of the paintings – Berman claims. Sometimes I add objects that emphasize the stories I want to tell through symbolism and historical-artistic references: flowers, dishes, books and so on. Sometimes I trigger discussions about a specific object – Why do I have it? Who gave it to me? – and trace a path inside the painting that leads to other storytelling».

As for his creative process, it all starts with a drawing. In the past he used to make his preparatory sketches directly on the canvas and then move on to the brush: «Today I take more time to go through my photographs and choose the references that will build the composition. From the paper I then move on to the canvas, where the scene gets its own life and movement». Over the past year, Berman has begun to experiment with different scales, while remaining faithful to the oil on canvas technique. An artist residency in LA, The Cabin, has provided him with the time and space to start a new chapter in his artistic practice. As he acknowledges the complexity that large scale paintings entail – not only from a technical standpoint, but also for the emotional involvement and commitment they require -, he is privileging immersive creative processes, both mentally and physically, that encourage him to focus on each detail and add numerous narrative and symbolic layers.

The rawness of human life in Amit Berman’s paintings

Even though his painting technique is evolving and improving, Berman refuses to give up the naivety that guided him in the creation of his first works: «I aim to preserve the roughness of the beginnings, also when it comes to material and texture – says Berman. I tried to work with linen canvases, but I found that they deprived my works of the roughness and humanity that I look for in art, as well as in my life». This approach also applies to the way he paints the human body, raw and forthright. Berman’s figures are vessels of fragilities and humanity that tell real life stories suspended in a vague space-time dimension. When their gaze does not catch the viewer’s eye, they float over the horizon, whether it is the open sea or just a glimpse of an urban setting framed by a window. 

While emphasizing the tenderness of intimate private moments through soft-hued palettes, Berman strives for a balance between gentle stories and the roughness of reality. Israelson sees in this frankness the reasons for his success among the public: «This is the reason why his work connects so readily with so many people and his trajectory has been fast and upward, and I’m sure we’ll only continue from here».

Amit Berman

Born in 1994, Amit Berman lives and works between Tel Aviv, Israel, and Italy. His recent achievements include participation in I confini dell’alterità / The Contours of Otherness
at the Jewish Museum Venice during the 2024 Venice Biennale. He has been selected for several residencies including at The Cabin, Los Angeles (November 2024) and Cabane Georgina, Marseille (July 2024). Berman is exhibiting in an upcoming group show at the Haifa Museum of Contemporary Art (April 2025). 

Agnese Torres