BREATHING JOY AND LIGHT

THE SKIRBALL CULTURAL Center presents Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light, 20 paintings and drawings from its own collection, through Sept. 3. The exhibition focuses on works made primarily during the decades following World War II and the Holocaust. To ease the despair brought on by that period, Krasnow created vibrant paintings teeming with exuberant abstract forms, radiating optimism and evoking spiritual renewal. Krasnow emigrated from Ukraine to the U.S. in 1907, at the age of 20, and by the 1920s had established himself in the Los Angeles art community. His paintings incorporate elements both of his Jewish heritage and the organic forms and hues of the plant life at his Atwater Village home and studio. Krasnow’s works, says Skirball president/CEO Jessie Kornberg, “are testament to the resilience of the human spirit and healing power of expression ... full of joy, energy and hope and particularly poignant in the context of his journey from Ukraine.” 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A., 310.440.4500, skirball.org