“THE BIRD WATCHERS”: This work is featured in “Mystery, Memory and Magic: The Art of Lyanne Malamed,” on view June 8 through June 30 at Morpeth Contemporary in Hopewell. An opening reception is on Saturday, June 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Morpeth Contemporary in Hopewell will present “Mystery, Memory and Magic: The Art of Lyanne Malamed,” a posthumous exhibition of paintings by the New Jersey artist (1931-2022), on view June 8 through June 30. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, June 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Enigmatic and alluring, Malamed’s work is, in many ways, art “for the ages.” Her depictions of children, mothers, adults, and the elderly represent the entire cycle of human life, including death, with all its joys and sorrows. Her work also explores an afterlife in the traditional Christian context of Heaven, symbolized by a brighter, colorful palette, winged angels, and weightless human forms. Her allegorical use of birds as vessels for souls passed is a clear representation of tethers between the living and the departed. Inspired by both historical and contemporary art, Malamed invented her own visual vocabulary by repurposing traditional poses, garments, and symbolism in striking juxtapositions.

Her signature series depicting elderly women, often using real gold leaf, evokes medieval and early Renaissance times in a surrealistic manner.

According to the artist, “My work has always been about people: lovers, brides, and families. In recent years it has focused on the isolation and alienation of the elderly in our society as seen especially in old women. These paintings are not a series of traditional portraits; I do not work from models or photographs. The faces that are presented to the world are often masks that may hide panic and fear. I have tried to show the real dignity and power which is retained by those who grow old in a hostile environment.”

A press release notes that Malamed was born in the small town of Alton, Iowa, during the Great Depression. Because she was never able to visit a museum during her formative years, her initial exposure to art was limited to reproductions in art history books. Nonetheless, she pursued a professional art career and graduated from Briar Cliff College in Sioux City before taking graduate courses in art at the University of Iowa.

A professional artist since 1956, Malamed has been exhibited by museums and galleries in over 15 solo exhibitions and 20 group shows. Her work is represented in numerous private and public collections including Bristol Meyers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, and Rider University. Malamed remained active in her artistic endeavors well into her eighties, when she revisited the medium of egg tempera.

Morpeth Contemporary is located at 43 West Broad Street in Hopewell. For more information, call (609) 333-9393 or visit morpethcontemporary.com.