Off the Wall
Genesis / From Something to Nothing, Acrylic on sculpted canvas, 26 x 18 x 6 inches, 2023
From Something To Nothing explores the Kabbalistic concept of yesh me-ayin—creation from something (yesh) to Divine nothingness (ayin).
Ayin is understood as the ultimate reality underlying all things; nothing possesses a separate, independent existence. In the painting, the rough, earthy surface, symbolizing the material world, splits open to reveal another image beneath.
At the center of this hidden layer is the divine nothingness, represented by the eye of God. The cracks, resembling tectonic plates, suggest that rupture and brokenness are not just inevitable; they are essential for the emergence of something new.
Bechukotai Blessings, Acrylic & Venetian plaster on sculpted canvas, 18 x 23 x 5 inches, 2022
Bechukotai Curses, Acrylic & Venetian plaster on sculpted canvas, 18 x 23 x 5 inches, 2022
The concepts of blessings, curses, and rain, as mentioned in the Bible and the Torah, are open to interpretation—what may be beneficial for one can be harmful to another. These paintings explore the process of becoming more receptive to external forces, symbolized by rain. As we open ourselves to this flow of energy, we become more attuned to positive interpretations of the events around us, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and understanding.
Caute - Spinoza, Sculpted canvas, 36 x 24 inches
Baruch Spinoza was a Dutch Sephardic philosopher; this painting examines his complex legacy.
Tabernacles - Samaritans (front), Acrylic on venetian blinds, 36 x 30 x 4 inches, 2022
Tabernacles - Samaritans (back), Acrylic on venetian blinds, 36 x 30 x 4 inches, 2022
"Focusing on the parallel paths taken by Samaritans and Jews, in “Tabernacles” Yona Verwer sets imagery drawn from Samaritan Tabernacle drawings in conversation with medieval Jewish depictions of the Tabernacle. She printed her two tabernacles on a vertical blind, so that each could be seen to varying degrees simultaneously— or separately."
- Steven Fine, Curator, Samaritans, a Biblical People.
Holy Water 2, Print on Venetian blinds, 20 x 20 inches, 2024
This artwork is about the plight of people abused during the Israel Hamas war.