Artist Statement
After my grandparents’ passing, I discovered a great void in my life. These people who had shaped my life so much were suddenly gone, and through that void, I discovered a great responsibility--to honor their lives and the lives of those like them through painting, which I believe is the most communicative of all art forms. Thus, I created the Holocaust Survivor Portrait Project.
The purpose of this project is to have a visual testimony of the lives of these heroes…these survivors. They are a testament not only to history, but also to the power and strength of the human spirit. From my own family’s experience, I knew that for many survivors, their past was too difficult to discuss, and I therefore decided to translate whatever they would open up about into a portrait. These portraits not only give you a visual of what the survivor looks like today, but give you a sense of where they have been, and the incredible journey that their life has taken them on, from tragedy to triumph.
I began this project in 2008 and have completed over 50 portraits thus far. I intend to continue painting portraits of survivors for as long as we are blessed to have them among us.