Curator: Orly Baher Levy
Graphic Design: Studio Keren & Golan
Opening: 28.7.2023
Yehudit (Fawziya) Englard, née Safar, was born in Baghdad in 1946 and immigrated to Israel in 1951 during Operation Ezra and Nehemiah. As the fifth of eight children born to parents who were primarily occupied with their acclimation process and with providing the basic needs of the family, Yehudit felt lost at home, as if she were nonexistent. Her childhood, adolescence and young adulthood were marked by a constant conflict between her traditional and conservative Iraqi home and its attitude towards girls, and the liberal Israeli culture that she encountered in the public space.
Her art is characterized by expressionism that moves along the scale of the abstract. It describes her inner and turbulent world as a woman, as well as her repressed emotions and memories, achieved by using layers of multihued and rich colors.
This exhibition puts a retrospective spotlight on the acculturation and integration hardships faced by all younger and older immigrant girls. Using portions of the 'visual diary' created by the artist and inspired by her own story, we can witness the difficult process that has both ups and downs.
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