Kol Ha-Isha: Feminist Art in Israel

Playground, Rachel Shajar

Clare Kinberg brings word of a wonderful art exhibit, Antea Darom, devoted to ten women artists at the Kaye Gallery in Beersheva. I’m not in the habit of promoting specific events in Israel since I don’t think my blog will do much on behalf of building attendance. But the quality of the work in this show and the quality of other work at the Rita Mendes Flohr’s website is beautiful and deeply compelling:

Kol Ha-Isha’s Antea Gallery of feminist art has been invited to bring an exhibit of 10 Antea artists to the Kaye College of Education in Beer Sheva.

This large, varied and mutlicultural exhibit, called Antea Darom – Antea in the South, opens on March 11, 2008, at 1 p.m. to mark International Women’s Day, and can be seen until May 12th, 2008.

The exhibit is curated by Rita Mendes-Flohr and Nomi Tannhauser, with the curator from the Kaye College, Israel Rabinowitz.

the participating artists:

Hannan Abu Hussein, Sara Alimi, Nomi Bruckman, Hoda Jammal, Lena Zeidel, Nomi Tannhauser, Yonat Ofer, Annette Kleinfeld Lissauer, Parvin Schmueli Buchnik, Rachel Shajar.

Hoda Jamal

What is specially compelling about Playground is the innocent young girl standing, with arms raised in welcome and accompanied by her pony, before what used to be an idyllic childhood playground. Somehow her childhood toys have all been transformed into instruments of war. The innocence and menace of the images are jarring in juxtaposition.

I haven’t been able to discover the title of Hoda Jamal’s beautifully colorful and fanciful work which reminds me of an embroidered Palestinian woman’s blouse. The sense of joy and harmony with two birds singing together is palpable. Perhaps an omen of two peoples who might sometime sing together in harmony?

There are many other equally compelling images here. Please enjoy the feast and ponder it.