Siona Benjamin

Siona Benjamin (born December 11, 1960) is an Indian-American artist from Mumbai.

Background

Siona Benjamin is a painter originally from Bombay, now living in the US. Her work reflects her background of being brought up Jewish in a predominantly Hindu and Muslim India. In her paintings she combines the imagery of her past with the role she plays in America today, making a mosaic inspired by both Indian miniature paintings and Sephardic icons. She has her first MFA in painting and a second MFA in Theater set design. She has exhibited in the US, Europe and Asia. She has been recently awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 2010-11 for art project titled Faces: Weaving Indian Jewish Narratives. Research for this project has been conducted in India. The first exhibit is planned for October 2013 at the Prince of Wales museum in Mumbai, India. Her work has been featured in: The New York Times,[1] The Chicago Tribune,[2] The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Financial Times,[3] The Jewish Week in NYC[4] and NJ, The Boston Globe, Art in America, Art New England, Art and Antiques, ArtNews, Moment magazine, and several news papers, magazines, journals, and books.

Themes

Growing up in India, assimilation was expected in much of her daily life, and so “identity” and “mutual understanding” became major themes in Benjamin’s art.[5] Her culturally diverse background informs her approach to art. Her work is influenced by biblical subject matter, reflections on gender and an interest in Midrashic process. Much of her imagery reflects Indian mythology in an effort to reveal what shapes both physical and spiritual identity. Also at the core of her work is an ecumenical and empathetic spirit that comes from the very core of Jewish experience. Stylistically amalgamating Indian/Persian miniatures with pop culture, Christian and Jewish illuminated manuscripts, and Jewish and Hindu mythology, Siona also brings her canvas characters to life through animation and performance dance artists.[6]

Tikkun olam

Few things are more cherished in Jewish tradition than tikkun olam, which translates to “mending the world”. Observant Jews practice tikkun olam every day in their thoughts and actions. As Abraham Joshua Herschel has posed when asked, “Who is a Jew?” he replied: “A Jew is a person whose integrity decays when unmoved by the knowledge of wrong done to other people”. Through study and reflection, Benjamin has made tikkun olam central to her art. She lives in New Jersey.[6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/18/nyregion/mixing-colors-blending-cultures.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
  2. ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-03-29/features/0603280318_1_oyster-suffrage-puffer
  3. ↑ http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/44f0d960-5320-11df-813e-00144feab49a.html#axzz2e8a1swb6
  4. ↑ http://www.thejewishweek.com/arts/arts_guide/searching_home
  5. ↑ Wecker, Menachem. "Siona Benjamin: An artist who paints from the East". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  6. 1 2 Wallner, Susan (February 20, 2013). "Blue Like Me: The Paintings of Siona Benjamin at Stockton Art Gallery". NJ Today.

External links

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