Jac Lahav: The Saffron Theif

January 12 - February 11

Sugarlift presents Abshalom Jac Lahav (he/them), Persian Polish artist,  curator, author born in Jerusalem (Israel). Raised in the United States, Lahav graduated with an MFA from Brooklyn College where they studied with Vito Acconci. The Saffron Theif was featured by Art Forum as a “Must See” show.

Lahav’s work involves re-telling narratives about community, belonging, and cultural history. With solo painting shows at Richmond Art Museum Indiana, Longview MFA Texas, Saginaw Art Museum Michigan, Florence Griswold Museum Connecticut, Lahav’s work can be found in multiple public collections including the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, Mount Holyoke Art Museum, Jewish Museum NY among others.

For the past 8 years, Lahav’s social practice and curatorial projects have been written about in Hyperallergic, New York Times, Gothamist, Artnet, among others. During the pandemic, Lahav expanded their social practice, becoming an advocate for foster parents and helping start the group Public Art For Racial Justice Education (PARJE).

Through his work, Lahav has helped facilitate large-scale mural projects, host educational artist talks, and run children’s art projects to educate about under-represented narratives and equity in America.

Sugarlift was established in 2014 in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood and has since moved to Chelsea. The mission of the gallery has remained consistent: to help more artists create sustainable careers by connecting them with a larger audience of collectors.

Over the years, the gallery has evolved, embracing technology and pursuing new ways for people to engage with and collect artwork. They are unafraid to change the status quo as long as it benefits artists and dignifies their work.