tzva'im - colors of judaism:
Unbridled Expressions in the Greater-DFW Jewish Community
Is there Jewish art? This question has been posed by scholars and art enthusiasts time and time again, with only one inarguable response: There are Jews who engage in artistic expressions that reflect the varying ways they view and interact with the world. Is their art automatically Jewish because they are Jewish, or is it only “Jewish” art if their Jewish identity is the predominant theme? That is subjective, and ultimately determined by each artist individually.
Historically, as reflected in religious texts, there were periods where representational art was frowned upon, if not forbidden. This sentiment has largely dissipated, making way for a greater range of artistic expression among Jewish artists. Color began to play a major role in Jewish artistic practices around the time illuminated manuscripts of Hebrew and Christian texts became popular leading into the Renaissance, and continued well into the 20th and 21st centuries—spanning several periods of avant-garde styles such as Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism, and beyond. Artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Camille Pissarro, Marc Chagall, Roy Lichtenstein, Anni Albers (whose monumental panels grace Temple Emanu-el’s Sanctuary), Diane Arbus, and Alex Katz, among many others, blazed a trail for artists today with backgrounds in Jewish culture to express themselves with unbridled creative freedom. Jewish artists in the Greater DFW area are no exception. The metroplex is a hub for fine art, with burgeoning public and private art collections and a wealth of creative minds who make the world more colorful and engaging with their interpretations of the world in which we live.
This exhibition draws its name and central theme from the Hebrew word for “colors” to capture the vast spectrum of lived experiences within the Greater DFW Jewish community. Tzva’im features a multitude of stories and ideas told using color in various media through the lenses of diverse perspectives ranging from young emerging artists to seasoned professionals with decades-long careers—some of whom are native to the DFW area and others who have emigrated from across the globe. Each artist explores their identity and relationships with place and time, light and color, and shape and form; sometimes with Judaic allegory and imagery, and other times with neutral or secular themes. Color is a tool to express and represent those relationships.
Each viewing room below offers multiple ways to view and interact with the artists and artworks in the exhibition. Select one to begin your experience of Tzva'im - Colors of Judaism: Unbridled Expression in the Greater DFW Jewish Community.
Historically, as reflected in religious texts, there were periods where representational art was frowned upon, if not forbidden. This sentiment has largely dissipated, making way for a greater range of artistic expression among Jewish artists. Color began to play a major role in Jewish artistic practices around the time illuminated manuscripts of Hebrew and Christian texts became popular leading into the Renaissance, and continued well into the 20th and 21st centuries—spanning several periods of avant-garde styles such as Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism, and beyond. Artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Camille Pissarro, Marc Chagall, Roy Lichtenstein, Anni Albers (whose monumental panels grace Temple Emanu-el’s Sanctuary), Diane Arbus, and Alex Katz, among many others, blazed a trail for artists today with backgrounds in Jewish culture to express themselves with unbridled creative freedom. Jewish artists in the Greater DFW area are no exception. The metroplex is a hub for fine art, with burgeoning public and private art collections and a wealth of creative minds who make the world more colorful and engaging with their interpretations of the world in which we live.
This exhibition draws its name and central theme from the Hebrew word for “colors” to capture the vast spectrum of lived experiences within the Greater DFW Jewish community. Tzva’im features a multitude of stories and ideas told using color in various media through the lenses of diverse perspectives ranging from young emerging artists to seasoned professionals with decades-long careers—some of whom are native to the DFW area and others who have emigrated from across the globe. Each artist explores their identity and relationships with place and time, light and color, and shape and form; sometimes with Judaic allegory and imagery, and other times with neutral or secular themes. Color is a tool to express and represent those relationships.
Each viewing room below offers multiple ways to view and interact with the artists and artworks in the exhibition. Select one to begin your experience of Tzva'im - Colors of Judaism: Unbridled Expression in the Greater DFW Jewish Community.
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