Duty of the Hearts: A projected drawing and love letter by Yifat Bezalel

Opening: Sunday June 11, 2023 | 11:00am-5:00pm
On view: June 3 – 4, June 9 – 11, June 16 – 18

KODA/RU House, #404B Colonels Row | Click here for access to Governors Island

Click here to see this exhibition on Governors Island’s website

Click here to view the online brochure

For many years I borrowed images from other cultures related to Western art history, mainly the Renaissance. I contemplated it, and at that moment, I felt the need to return home. I am questing the mystical palaces where the shekhinah wanders homeless and destitute. Shekhinah is infinitely missing her soil, her ground, and her masculine counterpart. (After the destruction of the Second Holy Temple)

Yifat Bezalel‘s concept of “Shekhinah” is a central theme that often weaves through her artwork. Derived from Hebrew mysticism and Jewish theology, the shekhinah (שכינה) denotes the dwelling or settling of the presence of the divine and feminine. Yifat explores this concept as a symbol of spiritual connection, inner strength, and the embodiment of divine energy. Her interpretation of Shekhinah goes beyond religious boundaries, transcending cultural and spiritual contexts. It serves as a reminder of the universal human experience and the potential for divine connection that resides within each individual, regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds.

The image slowly reveals and unfolds itself on the paper; it rises from the white void, curls and folds. It is first and foremost a record of time and of movement, and only then does it evolve to become an idea or a story.

Click below to see images from the exhibition

About

Trained as a classical and academic artist, Yifat Bezalel has developed over the years a unique technique where she superimposes semi transparent pencil layers of figurative and realistic images, creating surreal realms. When confronted to a work by Bezalel, a different kind of attention is called for—slower and more reflective. It recalls previous or other worlds where the image had the power of revelation or prophecy. Bezalel’s motifs are intimately linked to the history of art, from Renaissance to Francisco Goya, René Magritte, Gerhard Richter and beyond. Click here for full bio.

This program benefits from the support of Artis 

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.