Selected Bio

Lenore is a visual artist and mother of four. Her art is informed by her Syrian Jewish heritage. She's worked as an artist and producer since earning a BA in art from Brooklyn College in 2009. In 2024 she founded Muse, an artist collective studio in Brooklyn.

 

Fascinated by Arabic, the spoken language of her ancestors, Lenore initially self-trained in scripting it. Inspired by artists based in Dubai, she later received instruction and guidance from them in order to perfect her skill and use her calligraphy as a start point for three dimensional conceptual works. Many of her projects are research based, using artifacts, photo archives and interviews conducted with first generation immigrants within her community. Lenore creates connections through her work both within and outside of the Jewish world, sparking conversations between generations and people.

 

Internationally exhibited and collected, Lenore’s work has been presented in solo and group shows in the US, Austria, Italy, Amsterdam, Canada and Israel. She and her work have been published in books, scholarly jourals, newspapers and featured in radio and television interviews. In 2025 her work was included in Heritage, a survey of consequential Jewish artists in the US (Baigell, Syracuse University).

 

Al’amthal was featured in a solo show at the Museo Ebraico of Lecce and in the Roman Parliament in 2025. By Any Other Name  and Will I Find My Peace were exhibited at the Jewish Museum of Vienna from 2024-6, and Everything Forbidden is Sought After at the Jewish Museums of Amsterdam and Berlin. In 2021, Lenore created and produced the group show Maktoub as part of the Jerusalem Biennale, bringing together Hebrew and Arabic calligraphers from the UAE and Israel to exhibit in Jerusalem. 

 

She is currently based in NYC.

​

See artworks as they’re being created on instagram @LenoreCohen.

Contact Lenore to schedule a studio visit in Brooklyn. 

​

​

Artists Statement

​

Arabic calligraphy is a beautiful and dynamic discipline. It was especially exciting for me to realize its possibilites in 3-d, which I use almost exclusively in my art. My process begins with flat, hand scripted calligraphy. I choose words suited to the conceptual idea of the work. Using these words to form floral shapes is an important next step, flowers themselves carrying so much symbolism and meaning. I turn these “word flowers” into scultped arrangements whose shape further reinforces the conceptual idea of the artwork. These can be as small as notebook or as large as an entire room; the artwork can be about life truisms, mental health, or forced migration. 

 

My work often causes some confusion-- why is a Jewish person so immersed in creating and writing in Arabic? As a Syrian Jew, I know that my roots in the Middle East that date back over 2000 years, and that MENA Jews are an integral part of this region’s history. Arabic culture is a natural extension of my Jewish experience. Being in this position, it’s my responsibility to use my art to raise awareness about this little-understood but prevalent reality. 

 

My cultural heritage is often ignored, which erodes it. Being vocal about it, even when it’s not understood or always welcomed, helps ensure I’m not taking part in my own erasure. There are relatively few creative people who are vocal about this heritage, which allows a false narrative to be told about the Jewish people’s place in the Middle East. Art is my way to combat that; creating these things leaves a record and encourages carrying old ideas forward into a new generation, with refreshed appreciation. 

 

Work like mine allows viewers to consider new angles on real world issues and can create more understanding between people, especially those who share an appreciation for Arabic. Art is a way to build bridges, to make people stop, listen and regard other perspectives. It’s my goal to continually do this through subtle, compelling, thought-provoking art.