Can They See the Sky? When the past Becomes the Present

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During the recent war in Israel, I witnessed a flower breaking through a stone wall in Jerusalem. My immediate reaction to the strength of this delicate flower inspired this new series of work, Can They See the Sky? When the Past Becomes Present, allowing me to put marks of hope and faith on canvas, during this heartbreaking time.

As I was painting, I learned that my granddaughter, Lily Courtney, was also working with oil on canvas, on the exact same theme, and asking similar questions to my own, can art express hope, light, and beauty during these dark times?

Separated by 8,000 miles, alone in our studio, with no communication between us, we later discovered that we had named one of our paintings with the same title - “Can They See the Sky?”  Ultimately, we ended up collaborating in one studio, with the results seen here in the Biennale Gallery.

As spring is on the horizon, the mounting of this show also includes the legacy of my father, Amram Deutsch Z’L, as he drew the sun rising over Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp, in 1946. One year later, I was born.

This image not only instilled in my family the awareness that art can ignite emotion, power and beauty, but we also see these same traits in the portrait of my father called, Zydee, 2024, painted by Lily. Indeed a tribute to his memory, as Lily was fortunate enough to spend time with her great grandfather, who passed away in recent times, 2022.

Lily and I dedicate this exhibition to his memory.

Mindy Weisel