"Helaneh's Curtain"
Vera Tamari

Jerusalem is an austere city. Jerusalem is a magical city. My work explores the juxtaposition of the two meanings “austerity” and “magic” through an object made by my paternal grandmother Helaneh Abdo Tamari. Helaneh, born and raised in Jerusalem almost 140 years ago, was herself ingrained with austerity and ruled by the Jerusalem traditions. This work is a tribute to her and to the city, transcending the realm of severity to other territories where fantasy becomes a necessary tool to survive the burdens of time and memory.