Saba and Shai
2021
Oil on Canvas
60” x 35”
This painting is a double portrait of my late grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, and my older sister when she was a baby. I painted it from a screenshot from a home video. My intention was to capture a tender moment between grandfather and granddaughter, as well as take pride in his resilience and triumph. As the only surviving member of his family, continuing his lineage carried an enormously symbolic importance for him.
שרה, שנייה משמאל
2021
Oil on Plywood
6”x8”, 6”x8”
This is a diptych of the front and back of a photograph of my great-great aunt and her friends from 1916. I wanted to depict the back side because it not only included a watermark and the name of the photography studio, but also my mother’s handwriting from the 80’s when she was in school and had to complete a research project about her family background. I was only able to identify the people in the photograph because of my mother's note that said, “1916, Sarah, 2nd from left, 15 years old,” (my older family members couldn’t recall who was in the image). I’m really fascinated by family archives and material culture, as well as the layers that an object or document can acquire over time—such as my mom’s handwriting. I have hardly any family heirlooms because they were destroyed and/or lost in the Holocaust. I long for any sort of artifact of my familial past. For the past couple of years, I have been trying to piece together my family history from these remnants. And I have been exploring these remnants in my paintings, such as this one. Sarah and her family perished in the Holocaust, so with this painting, I am fulfilling my duty of keeping her legacy alive.
Chava and Zvi
2021
Oil on Plywood
5.75” x 8.5”
This is a painting of my great grandparents, who perished in the Holocaust. I painted it from their wedding photo, one of their only surviving photographs. My goal was to memorialize and honor them. I left some areas unpainted in order to illustrate their vanishing memory.
Almond Blossom Hanukkiah
2022
Steel, Aluminum, Magnets
For this piece, I looked at the original biblical text which describes the golden menorah with almond blossom motifs. Additionally, I wanted to add an element of play and whimsy that invites interaction from children and adults, which resulted in almond blossom magnets which can be moved around and customized.
Purim, 2003
2022
Oil on Masonite
14” x 10”
From my “Home Video” series where I paint from screenshots of home videos of my childhood and childhoods of various generations of family members.
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