B’Aretz:
Portrait of a Land
Watch the film. (7 mins)
Israel, as a state, a concept, and most importantly a home, has the power to change us all. Follow the deeply transformative inner journey and profound renaissance of creativity and faith in a young Australian artist's life as he reconnects with his ancestral homeland. Experience Israel like never before, through the eyes of Avraham, as he struggles to understand what it means to be Jewish after years of internalised antisemitism.
This series of works were created during Avraham’s first time visiting Israel, living in Tel Aviv from June to October of 2022. A deeply personal, yet universal depiction that powerfully captures the identity struggles faced by every Jew today. It will leave the viewer inspired, enlightened and reconnected to Israel and what it means to be Jewish today.
Watch the documentary.
Credits:
Directed and painted by Avraham Vofsi
Written by Avraham Vofsi and Naomi Dascal
Additional Cinematography by James McPherson
Artist Statement
I was born in Melbourne, Australia to Jewish parents who immigrated from the US. I always knew I was Jewish but it was a challenge to keep a full Jewish life outside the Jewish community. My bar mitzvah was the last time I was in synagogue for the next fifteen years. As for Israel? Israel simply didn’t feature in my Jewish life.
It wasn’t until late in 2020, at the age of 31, that I started connecting with Jews from all over the world including Israel via Instagram. These new connections suddenly became a very public affair during the “Guardian of the Walls” operation in May of 2021. During those eleven days, there was not a single day without a flood of antisemitism online. I could not keep my head above water. It was the first time I was exposed to the raw volume and intensity of unbridled antisemitism that always comes alive during times of strife. Especially painful was witnessing my ‘good’ friends spouting vile lies online while my new friends were running for the bomb shelters. There was a disconnect between what Jews and Israelis were saying about what was happening and what everyone else was saying; my friends weren’t interested in, or even quite hostile to hearing information that contradicted their preconceived ideas about those events.
To learn who you are today,
cast fresh footsteps
upon ancient lands.
Above all else, one thing became clear to me: I needed to go and experience Israel for myself. For the first time, I realised my connection to Jews living in Israel as well as to Jews in the Diaspora with strong ties to the land. It was this personal connection to these people that drew me first and foremost, but once I started reading more about the history and society in Israel, I became hooked on the concept of Israel itself. I decided to spend time in Israel creating artwork as a way to learn about the country, meet people and see the land. Even before I landed, I had the suspicion that the reality of the place could not possibly be anything like I was imagining.
Building on my previous projects, I wanted to create a documentary to explain the wider context for the creation of the work. With that in mind, I decided to record a video diary every two weeks to document my own experiences as the project was created. What developed was the journey of my experiencing Israel for the first time as I was creating a series of paintings around the theme of Israel.
The aim with this exhibition is to create a more human and emotional connection between Jews living in the Diaspora and Israelis. For me, gaining this stronger sense of my Jewish identity and how it relates to our history in Israel has given me strength and inspired my journey, both personal and artistic.
These paintings tell the story of a Jew from Australia pursuing discovering Israel for himself and discovering that Israel isn't a perfect place - it's far more interesting.
Avraham Vofsi, April 30th
Celebrate the show with limited edition prints.
Celebrate the 75th Yom Ha’atzmaut and the opening of Avraham Vofsi’s newest solo exhibition: B’aretz: Portrait of a Land.
There are 4 landscape prints from the show available in 3 different sizes:
Mitzpeh Ramon at Sunset מצפה רמון בשקיעה
Towards Haifa from Beit Oren בית אורן עם הפנים לחיפה
Near Jaffa Gate in the Old City ליד שער יפו בעיר העתיקה
Tel Aviv skyline from Jaffa תצפית על תל אביב מיפו
All prints are hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
