About the project 'RIPENESS'
Ripeness was inspired by the most important issue in my life; the issue of health.
As a result of chronic autoimmune disease, my life had changed. I had come to realize that conventional medicine had nothing to offer me, and in my search for help I fortunately discovered natural hygiene. Through a raw food diet, the natural hygiene approach to wellness allows the body to do what it does best, to recover, repair, and regenerate.
When I finally broke through my inhibitions and fully gave into the natural hygiene method, I felt an almost instant love radiating internally. I felt an incredible joy and a sharp awareness of the changes happening inside my body. I became re-connected to my senses, and began to understand the intensity of the connection between mind and body.
A connection with one’s physical body opens the gate to the inner body of the soul. Through observation and gentle communication, the physical and spiritual bodies work together, learning about one another, and here in this connection lies the nature of true healing.
My journey to healing was powerful and exciting. I discovered within myself an immense power of mind and body. “Ripeness” is an expression of the process that had occurred inside of me. My creation of “Ripeness” was driven by gratitude, and a desire to pay tribute to the fruits which had given me back control over my body. As my health improved and prospered, I discovered paradise in simple eating, and delight in consuming nourishment in exactly the form that nature gives it to us. “Ripeness” invites the viewer to be present in the face of this simple abundance and happiness which we all deserve to experience.
The works in “Ripeness” are created from fragile elements of glass. Here the fragility of the glass symbolizes the delicate balance of health, and how easily health can be broken. The glass pieces are placed into rich assemblages of movement and color, representing the gateway to the heaven of the inner kingdom, an imaginary wilderness full of desires to taste fruits I have not yet known.
The issue of health is worthy of public and cultural discourse. No one is immune to disease, and the prevalence of sickness is on the rise. Through my art, I aim to demonstrate that illness is not a decree humanity should accept, health and wellness are possible and achievable through natural, simple methods.
This project was done as my graduation project at the Ceramics and Glass Department of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem.
photographer - shai halevi
Materials: pâte de verre glass, pins, silk screen printing net, iron and wood frame.
Technique: screen printing, fusing, slumping.
Dimensions: 215 X 290 cm.
The project is an allegory, on a Rule of nature, an observation between two situations that are opposite but yet contain one another, the decay versus the ripeness.
sickness as the decay, a place that holds within the entire universe, the power of new life, a fertile ground that is conducive to germination, sprouting the awareness for a need of a change And the ripeness as the realization of health, as the moment of fulfillment, abundance and flourishing, the climactic moment that hold within it the start of withering and decaying. These two states are necessary for the existence of every living organism and they are equally important.
CV
Education and experience.
2015/19 BFA Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem. Ceramics and glass department.
2018 ERASMUS exchange program at Eugeniusz geppert academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw. Print making and ceramic department.
2014 Internship at Maya Offer glass studio, slumping, fusing and flame works.
2013 Tel-Hai college, pottery department.
2005/08 Graduate of Wizo Art high school, Haifa. Fashion design department.
Prizes and Scholarships
7/2019 The Andy Prize- Andrea M. Bronfman Prize for the Arts in the field of glass.
8/2017 Pilchuck Glass school. course at vitreography and engraving. With Professor Andrea Dezso.
A research article 'Glazes for glass' at 'Tripod' An Online Trilingual Academic Journal of the Department of Ceramics and Glass Design, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem (Issue #2 December 2019)
Exhibitions
Vitrography printmaking with glass plates, solo exhibition self curate,
at Incubator gallery Mount Scopus Jerusalem 2017
Ctrl+Print Conference 3D Design and Printing, curators dov ganchrow and Maya Ben David, at Hansen House Center for Design, Media and Technology, Jerusalem 2018.
The Tel Aviv Crafts and Design Biennale, curators Henrietta Eliezer Brunner and Yuval Saar, together with deputy curators Merav Rahat, Nir Hermet and Leora Rozin. at Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv 2020