Julia Kohane

Artist Statement

My work explores the collapse of linear time and the unstable space between memory and imagination, where past, present, and future coexist within the same environment. I create surreal collages in which figures inhabit fractured landscapes that function simultaneously as psychological spaces and physical terrains.

Each piece begins with edited source material drawn from found imagery and my own photographs. These elements are printed, hand-cut, and assembled into layered physical collages. Through fragmentation and reassembly, I build compositions that reflect how memory distorts and reshapes experience. The final works are produced as Vibrachrome archival prints on aluminum in limited editions, preserving the composition of the hand-cut collage.

I am interested in states of transition and instability, where environments remain in flux rather than fixed. Figures often appear suspended within these shifting spaces, conveying vulnerability alongside resilience.

Themes of alienation, mortality, and collective unease run through the work, alongside a tension between inner states and external forces. Rather than offering resolution, the compositions remain open, allowing for multiple interpretations.

Rooted in experiences of displacement and resettlement, the work constructs imagined environments that feel familiar yet unsettled. Recent works increasingly explore landscapes where architectural fragments, celestial elements, and figures coexist, creating spaces charged with psychological tension and emotional ambiguity.