I created “Israel at 75” (March 2023) as I reflected on Israel in 2023, the year of her Diamond Jubilee, i.e., her 75th anniversary.

From January to October 2023, large-scale protests took place across Israel in response to the government's push for wide-ranging judicial reform.

These demonstrations ceased with the shock of the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7th . But soon protesters gathered to demand that the government secure the release of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. 

Sporadic demonstrations for judicial reform took place until 12 October, when the formation of a war cabinet paused all judicial reform efforts. Rallies and marches demanding the government secure the release of the hostages continued, and in January 2024 protesters began demanding that elections to be held in Israel.

I regret that as the situation in the area deteriorates daily my artwork takes on more meaning.

I think of my artwork as Diasporic Micrography as my handwritten text is English not Hebrew. I used the text of Israel’s Declaration of Independence and the names of its signatories to create “Israel at 75”.

Atop the cake are the Hebrew letters ayin (with a numerical value of 70) and hey (with a numerical value of 5). “Ayin hey” also stands for “alav hashalom,” “Peace be upon them,” or “rest in peace,” used following a name to indicate that person is dead.

The yahrzeit (memorial) candles that top the cake represent the foreboding I felt when creating the piece. Now they reference those killed on and since October 7th: Israelis, and innocent Palestinians.

The text used for this micrography is the English-language translation of Israel’s Declaration of Independence. The text in the drawn frame is the names of the document’s signatories.