Bio

Moukhin, 46, a scion of an artistic dynasty, makes her domicile in the storied city of Haifa. Her oeuvre probes the dichotomy between assimilation and alienation, a sense of inadequacy juxtaposed with affirmation. She interrogates Israeli identity through a kaleidoscope of divergent perspectives. The audacious vulnerability inherent in her compositions is destined to provoke visceral responses. 

"I bear within me a narrative of striving for belonging amid Israel's pluralistic tapestry," imparts Moukhin. At 15, an émigré from Tajikistan, she was engulfed in a maelstrom of cultural upheaval. Reductively perceived as "Russian" despite roots elsewhere, she endeavored to redefine selfhood where her heritage lacked instant acceptance. 

This crucible compelled formative choices charting her trajectory: Israeli-educated, matrimonially-bound to Israelis across the ethnic spectrum, an educator of many years. Straddling preconceptions – "Skilled at painting, being Russian," "Russians excel technically," queries of "Finished cleaning to hire a cab?" and presumptions of linguistic deficiency – underscored her urgency for self-determination and societal validation. 

This retrospective represents Moukhin's definitive articulation of authenticity through creativity, a subversive riposte to reductive stereotyping. Interrogating notions of identity as willful self-selection, it defies conventional demarcations of belonging. How permissive is Israeli society in embracing her multifaceted essence? "When will my achievements and talents garner recognition as an Israeli, not a Russian?" she posits. 

Beyond personal identity, this opus re-examines conceptions of "Israeliness" itself, broadening its parameters while respecting the polychromatic identities, cultures, and narratives interwoven into the nation's social fabric. The current national trauma has reawakened the yearning to honor diverse Israeliness. Now, more than ever, she must feel Israeli.