Nir Hod's Prodigies

A rather strange exhibition opened at the Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York yesterday: Genius. The title doesn't refer to the artist Nir Hod, but to the 48 purported prodigies whose portraits he has painted. My guess is that Hod was badly effected by seeing The Omen (1976) when younger. His demonic cherubs, many with smouldering rolled-up cigarettes in their small hands to symbolize their precocity, are a toffee-nosed tribe of Damiens. Maybe Hod just hates rich brats. Or the American "Mom". The portraits vary in quality. Salvador (2010) is one of the best. The show runs until 18 June. Click the title link to see more of Hod's portraits.