Painter Matan Ben Cnaan has unveiled a new solo exhibition at Rothschild Fine Art in Tel Aviv, presenting a series of small-scale works that capture fleeting, everyday moments marked by subtle tension and imbalance. The exhibition, titled *Everything’s wonderful,’ I said. I lied*, runs through October 10 and offers a contemplative look at scenes where the ordinary reveals a deeper narrative.

One of the central pieces, *Shitty Day*, depicts a concrete mixer truck stuck on a wet city street at dusk, its chute lowered incongruously onto the sidewalk. Through careful observation, Ben Cnaan notes that the truck appears stranded for hours, as concrete is typically poured early in the day rather than in the evening. The painting includes a man standing nearby with his back turned, speaking on a phone beside a red warning triangle placed on the asphalt. Ben Cnaan describes this scenario as “an encounter between worlds that can’t possibly meet,” inviting viewers to consider the frustration and helplessness of such a moment.

The exhibition’s works focus on what Ben Cnaan and the exhibition’s writer, Ron Bartos, characterize as “incident paintings.” These portray scenes of minor disruptions — a split watermelon on a market floor, a spilled puddle in a kitchen, cars stuck in place, or people waiting and leaving — moments where the ordinary seems unsettled. Bartos emphasizes that while little may seem to happen on the surface, each painting alludes to an event that has already displaced balance.

Born in 1980, Ben Cnaan is recognized internationally, notably receiving first prize at the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London in 2015 for *Annabelle and Guy*. He was the first Israeli artist to receive this honor. His current exhibition continues his interest in capturing nuanced human experiences, presenting visual narratives that encourage viewers to engage as detectives, piecing together the quiet stories at the heart of everyday life.