Artist’s Statement

Mama's headshot by Elisheva    Deborah Rolnik Raichman is a Brazilian judaica artist presently living in Houston. The warm and vivid colors from tropical Brazil, where she was raised, are a steady presence in her work. From her European parents, who were Holocaust refugees, she inherited a passion for everything Jewish. During her graduate studies in architecture, she became interested in Jewish art and religion which has become the focus of her life.

    Symbols of the Jewish tradition, especially the rich imagery associated with the Hebrew alphabet, are her main sources of inspiration. Lately, she is inspired by Yiddish sayings and proverbs, their wit and their humor. The artist feels that art dealing with Yiddish expressions should be approached with very contemporary media to assert that Yiddish wisdom is not something ancient, of the Old Country, but on the contrary, very apropos.

   Her artwork, based on traditional sources, aims to remind the modern Jew of his long forgotten heritage. As she says, ” When I make my public curious about Jewish culture, I’ve reached my goal”. Her work can be found as part of several fine private collections in the U.S., South America and Israel as well as several synagogues and Jewish buildings.

Post navigation