A call has gone out to Jewish artists to submit work for an upcoming exhibition centred on contemporary art with a Jewish connection.

The exhibition, titled Expressions of Judaism, will take place in Kent House, Knightsbridge, home to Westminster Synagogue. The show, opening on September 28, will last three weeks, with various events in place. 

Freelance curator Orit Schreiber told the JC she was looking for all forms of 2D art, including textile work. 

She said that “the approach with this exhibition was designed to be subtle, thoughtful, thought-provoking and encourage a broad and varied response to the question of how Judaism may infuse an artist’s creative expression”. 

Schreiber said that she hoped the show would capture the ways in which Jewish heritage, philosophy and poetry could influence the work of Jewish artists, even if the theme of the artwork was not explicitly Jewish. “The title of the show, Expressions of Judaism, aims to reflects exactly how this may all manifest in the creative process and the expression of it in the artists’ output.”

Schreiber’s call for submissions was also inspired by her feeling that opportunities to view contemporary art by Jewish artists or inspired by Jewish ideas were “rare”, something that she was seeking to redress through this exhibition. However, she noted that it was very hard to group “Jewish art” into one category, something she hoped this display would show. 

So far, submissions had come from artists from a variety of backgrounds with contrasting connections to their Jewish heritage and different journeys in their discovery of Judaism, she said. “Some of the artists have come from a point of having unearthed a hidden Jewish background, but to their own surprise, found themselves interpreting Jewish ‘themes’ sub-consciously. Others deliberately set out on a path of learning and expressing their discoveries through their art.”

Some of the pieces reflect upon the Holocaust and the legacy of survival through generations, while others addressed the connection to Judaism through literature and thought.

With demand expected to be high, entrance to the exhibition, where the artwork will be on sale, will be by appointment only. 

“Expressions of Judaism” by Orit Schreiber will last from September 28 to October 23 at Kent House, Knightsbridge, with submissions of artwork closing on September 20.

For further information, contact Orit Schreiber through her website: www.oritschreiber.com