In the Gallery: Flora Rosefsky

A new exhibit of original works by Atlanta-area artist Flora Rosefsky called "RITUALS: Collage with Mixed-media materials" is now open to the public in the Marcus Hillel Center at Emory University.

This series of nine collages expresses popular Jewish holidays and life-cycle events. The "RITUALS" series was originally created for an invitational two-person show, "Shalom & Salaam: Sharing Our Traditions – The Art of Flora Rosefsky and Helen Zughaib", held at The Art Station in Stone Mountain, Georgia in 2007.

Along with this series in the gallery is displayed a large paper cutout titled "Shofars," a joyful grid filled with multiple Shofars to express the last, long blast of many Shofars at the end of the Yom Kippur Neilah service. A display case manifesting how the artist creates her highly narrative collage work includes examples of materials and resources used in the creative process.

More of Rosefsky’s work is on display inside Ray's Bistro at the Marcus Hillel Center. A set of framed prints of her paper cutouts and mixed-media explore the theme of “Shelter & Sanctuary". Often using ephemera, found paper, from her father-in-law’s saved cancelled checks or invoices, Rosefsky’s work surprises the viewer with an imaginative connection between the symbolism of the selected papers with the message of a particular Jewish concept such as the Festival of Sukkot.

With an intuitive sense of color and composition, like Henri Matisse, Rosefsky thrives on the freedom to "draw with scissors",in a spirit of spontaneity that is so much a part of each new work. The collage work, often inspired by Rosefsky’s Jewish heritage or family, reflects a personal and eloquent spirituality. Her work is irrepressibly joyful.

The exhibit will be on display at the Marcus Hillel Center throughout the 2011-12 academic year. Prints are available for purchase with proceeds benefitting Hillel at Emory University.