Yad B Yad

Yad b’Yad [Hand in Hand] is a series of monochrome paintings. The series features a core of eight paintings that deal with the variety of religious uses and references to hands in Judaism.

The concept for the series stems from the Jewish emphasis on social actions known as Tikkun Olam or “repairing the world.” Social reform develops first from thoughts, then to spoken words in prayer, and finally through physical actions. In this manner human hands become the vehicle that people use to interact with the physical world, putting thoughts into action.

The series is painted almost entirely in monochrome and allows for a great deal of attention to the quality and use of light. The contrast apparent in Yad b’Yad is an important aspect that unifies the work and builds a metaphor for light as illumination and the Talmudic concept of understanding, “Binah.”

A subtle theme in the work examines cultural change within the Jewish community through the use of religious candles.