Congratulations to our very own art teacher, Ms. Margarita Fainshtein, on having her artwork included in the Annual Ontario Society of Artists Open Juried Exhibition running from Nov. 1 to December 31, 2020 online. Below is a description of her featured piece as well as a link to her personal website. Click here to view the entire exhibition including Ms. Fainshtein's piece titled "Self Portrait" (a little more than halfway down on the right).
Suitcases: (self-portraits) 2018-2020. Etched acrylic. Sizes: 20x28x10.5cm; 40x56x21cm.
The work points to the notion of a self-portrait via the image of a suitcase referencing those in the former USSR region who were without homes as a result of being culturally different in their own country. Familial documents (Communistic party ticket; Former USSR passport, Jewish Identity card) were used to etch the suitcase form to question how they inhibit, control, or otherwise determine one's identity when region, locale, or nationality are suspended because of a Jewish identity in the early 20th century. All the suitcases ask several questions. What do we carry with us as representations of ourselves? Who gets to have a home? What does “belonging” mean?
Photo credit: Ilgar Gracie.
Website: http://margaritas.space
