Mother’s Home

In the last few years Shula Keshet has made significant strides in the local feminist arena. Already in her earlier exhibits: My Sister – Oriental Art in Israel, Oriental Women, Women Make a Difference, Eastern Call, Keshet has succeeded in merging two genres – ethnicity and gender – a provocative blend both within the art world and beyond. In Mother’s Home, which will open on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Keshet takes an even grander step – into her personal world – to the women of her own home. In this exhibit, Keshet displays portraits of female family members alongside paintings of imaginary events and characters. A cascade of women connected one to the other: mother, grandmother, cousin, sister, immigrants from Mashed, Zalha, Bibi Jan – this is the matriarchal line. Without assistance from their western feminist counterparts who attempt to save these women from “bondage”, these women are transformed into individuals with biographies, personal histories and internal strength. These characters break conventional patriarchal borders by means of the eye of the camera and paintbrush. . . .
Dalia Markovitz