Art Exhibition in Israel

Sculpture by Baruch Maayan, Israel

The Jerusalem House of Quality will host an art exhibition featuring the work of 10 artists, nine of whom are Messianic believers, and are all immigrants who – after transitioning from their lives in other cultures – have integrated into Israeli society and the creative life here.

Appropriately themed, In Transition, במעבר, (BaMa’avar) the exhibit will span two weeks — two distinct shows each featuring the work of five of the 10 exhibitors — beginning Dec. 23.

“Transition is a constant factor in our lives and communities,” explains an exhibit promotional piece. “In Hebrew there are various words expressing ideas to do with the process of changing from one state to another, to move on from something old or difficult, for the better or the worse. Or, as in the Hebrew word ma’avar, to cross over or to pass through.”

The first week of the exhibit will feature the diverse talents and interpretive works of Rolf Danielson, Marc de Klijn, Henny van Hartingsveldt, Diana Shimon and Brigitta Yavari-Ilan. Artists Mike Bayliss, Baruch Maayan, Itamar Siani, Martha Stern and Dima Tretyakov will be featured in the second exhibit beginning Dec. 30. (Baruch is the former congregation leader of Beit Ariel, Cape Town South Africa – he and his family made Aliyah about 20 years ago; Martha Stern is the wife of David, author of the Complete Jewish Bible)

The upcoming exhibit was originally booked at the same venue for one show, but the participants soon realized it would be best to spread the exhibit over two shows which would give all the artists involved the opportunity to show more work.

Some interesting works that will be on exhibit in the first show are from married artists de Klijn and van Hartingsveldt. A sculptress, van Hartingsveldt will present three sculptures and an installation dealing with her experiences of aliyah, while husband de Klijn, who has been working on the theme of the Shoah (Holocaust) for 10 years, is also showing other work related to the history of the Jewish people.

“After working for a long time as a potter I started to make more expressive ceramic works, sometimes in combination with other materials,” van Hartingsveldt said. “In 1989 I stopped definitively producing utility goods and concentrated completely on sculptures.

“My inspiration arises from the Bible and from emotionally moving events. Before we made aliyah I was working on the Shoah for some years, just like my husband, but now subjects such as ‘Tikvah’ (Hope), ‘Ruins into Light’ and ‘Lightbearers’ have become more important. In this country we need hope and light.”

“In this country we need hope and light.”