Painting depicting the silhouette of a gun
'Epic Fail' by Noma Bar.
(Image credit: Francis Ware)
By Malaika Byng
last updated

Noma Bar's new show at London's KK Outlet packs another dark, comedic punch. Titled 'Bitter Sweet', it reveals the duality of the illustrator's oeuvre, in which strong political messages are mixed with playful observations.

The Israeli artist is a master of simplicity. His clever manipulations of everyday icons force you to look several times. They're like comic remarks delivered with an utterly dead-pan expression or cutting comments to which there's no comeback.

In this exhibition's never-seen-before woodcuts, installations and screen prints, Bar ingeniously plays with negative spaces - so that the trigger of a gun reveals a dead man's head and the blank hole of a hooded figure's face is also the flame of a match.

While Bar - cover artist for our W*097 Secret Elite issue - is best known for his subverted images of famous faces (remember Saddam Hussein with features made from a radio active symbol and Bob Dylan wearing a guitar as sunglasses?), this show is more about his observations on life around him and the forms and faces he encounters.

Night Train to London

'Night Train to London' by Noma Bar

(Image credit: press)

The Noma Bar exhibition

The Noma Bar exhibition at the KK Outlet

(Image credit: press)

Gun Crime

'Gun Crime' and 'Now You See Them Now You Don't' by Noma Bar.

(Image credit: Francis Ware)

More or Less

'More or Less' by Noma Bar.

(Image credit: Francis Ware)

Covers of Noma Bar's book

Covers of Noma Bar's book, 'Negative Space', released through Mark Batty Publisher.

(Image credit: Francis Ware)

S.M.L

'S.M.L' by Noma Bar

(Image credit: press)

Now You See Them, Now You Don't

'Now You See Them, Now You Don't' by Noma Bar

(Image credit: press)

Gun Crime

'Gun Crime' by Noma Bar

(Image credit: press)

Noma Bar's work

Noma Bar's work on show at the KK Outlet

(Image credit: press)

Shy Guy

'Shy Guy' by Noma Bar

(Image credit: press)

Where There's Darkness

'Where There's Darkness' by Noma Bar

(Image credit: press)

Think Harder

'Think Harder' by Noma Bar.

(Image credit: Francis Ware)

Blind Optimism

'Blind Optimism' by Noma Bar

(Image credit: press)

The graphic works

The graphic works on display at the KK Outlet

(Image credit: press)

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Malaika Byng

Malaika Byng is an editor, writer and consultant covering everything from architecture, design and ecology to art and craft. She was online editor for Wallpaper* magazine for three years and more recently editor of Crafts magazine, until she decided to go freelance in 2022. Based in London, she now writes for the Financial Times, Metropolis, Kinfolk and The Plant, among others. 

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