Thirty Seven , 2020
59.4 x 84.1 cm (h x w)
Pencil and gold leaf on paper

Thirty Seven is a kind of self-portrait with myself floating at the centre of the composition wearing my phylacteries. Every morning I put on these straps which connect me with higher worlds. In an archaeological dig near the Dead Sea they found examples of these straps that have been worn daily for more than two thousand years. Every morning I feel that I am plugged in to a connection with the ultimate source. They are a great comfort. I feel peaceful like a foetus in a womb. I am connected with all things. Although I have always worn them for a short period every morning, during lockdown, when I do not need to go out, I wear them a little longer. In the ancient world people wore them all day long so that they were constantly protected and connected.

Exhibited by:

Ben Uri Research Unit

More from Ben Uri Research Unit

Family Group , 1940
76 x 56 cm (h x w)
Gouache on Paper
Ben Uri Research Unit
Bathers in a Landscape , 1930s-40s
51 x 65 cm (h x w)
Lithograph on paper
Ben Uri Research Unit
Ronda, Spain , 1954-56
45.5 x 61 cm (h x w)
Charcoal on paper
Ben Uri Research Unit
Mount Zion and the Church of the Dormition, Jerusalem , 1923
60 x 49 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit
Armenian Church, Jerusalem , 1923
48.5 x 63 cm (h x w)
Charcoal and Mixed Chalks
Ben Uri Research Unit