Born in 1936 in Jerusalem, painter, scholar and educator Samia Halaby has explored relationships between colour, shape and spatial balance. During the 1960s, Halaby developed a rigorous geometric language, often employing simple forms and subtle tonal variations as a means of negotiating reality. In Green and Purple (1963), a large green rectangle occupies more than half of the right side of the canvas. A darker vertical band separates this central shape from the deep purple background. Although muted, the colours do not appear flat; rather, they are layered and shift in tone across the surface. Halaby’s angles are slightly askew, giving her shapes a subtle sense of movement that adds to the ambiguity of their spatial relationships. Rather than conform to rigid geometry, the painting allows the edges of its forms to blur space and structure. 

^{*Currently exhibited at Aranya Art Center}