Group Exhibition of Ethiopian Pottery

“From Collective Art to Personal Art”

Beit HaOmanim (Artists’ House) 9 Alkharizi Street Tel Aviv
Opening: Thursday 1.12.22 at 19:00 Closing :24.12.2023

Ethiopian Jews, “Beta Israel” were settled in Gondar and Tirgray Regions in North-East Ethiopia. Most of them owned land and were farmers. In the 15th century, due to the change of rulers, started a period of persecution and discrimination of the community. Eventually, they were prohibited by law from owning land and had to look for different ways to earn a living. They started doing metalwork, pottery, and weaving. In pottery, the women made vessels for everyday life, and later they also learned how to make statuettes which they sold to tourists.

Upon arrival in Israel, while in the temporary caravan sites and in their permanent residents, the women continued to make pottery and made statuettes which were displayed and sold in exhibitions in galleries and museums.

In this exhibition, for the first time, are displayed vessels and figurines which were made in Israel from the beginning of the Ethiopian Aliyah which demonstrate the old tradition and the community’s collective memories of the past. And beside them are exhibited vessels and sculptures made by young artists, graduates of Israeli art schools. While reflecting the tradition and clinging to past memories, their works are personal expressions of artists seeking their own individual identities.

LIST OF ARTISTS:
Odelia Berchiko
Antanch
Gila Bitolin
Eli Aman
Tenet Awaka
Rachel Tedej
Tziona Yassi
Curator: Smadar Messing