Abat-jour

Elevating a simple household vignette into a celebration of color theory, this 1997 still life centers on a lampshade bursting with painted sunflowers. Ilana uses distinctively heavy, tactile brushwork—thick dabs of cobalt, white, and icy blue—to create a sense of vibrating air or dappled light. Sprawling green leaves frame the scene with organic energy, while a humble bowl of fruit anchors the bottom with earthy reds. The objects seem to merge with their surroundings, suggesting the atmosphere of the room is as important as the items within it. This work prefigures the domestic interiors of 1999 (Lampe à l'abat-jour), showing the artist’s recurring fascination with how artificial light interacts with the private spaces of the home.