The Binding of Isaac

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Aharon Kahana was an Israeli painter known for his work with the New Horizons group. Kahana showed an early mastery of abstraction, studying ceramics in Stuttgart before traveling to Berlin and Paris. In 1934, Kahana immigrated to Palestine, where he painted in a realist manner until 1943. In the 1950s, he developed his signature style: biblical content depicted in geometric forms with sharp defining lines. He also decorated public walls using ceramic techniques. In the 1960s, Kahana helped to found New Horizons and his style shifted to pop art, in harmony with the group’s vision. Kahana’s final works display a softer, more fluid line, more personal expression, and a reembrace of the classical female nude. Kahana died in Paris of a heart attack during the Six-Day War.