Hadas Gallery proudly presents the world premiere of We Are Patriarchs, the new painting series from Elke Reva Sudin, acclaimed creator of Hipsters and Hassids.
We are Patriarchs evokes the legacy of Biblical characters and archetypes drawing them into the 21st Century with contemporary oil portraits that suggest classical European master painters by way of Anglo-Japanese Japonisme, and graffiti street art.
These 15 works display the multi-cultural melting pot of global Jewry from award winning gourmet chefs to renowned world musicians, bloggers, converts, Rabbis, and tattooed heroines all equally featured. Each is a representation of a prominent figure from the Hebrew tradition, leaders in their time who continue to inspire.
The Bible states that there were 10 generations from the creation of Adam to Noah’s flood, and 10 more from The Flood to Abraham and monotheism. Sudin reinterprets this for a new era finding significance in the 10 generations from the Industrial Revolution to today. Modern technology has enabled the most informed, educated generation and yet we are lost in a sea of choices that ignore the wisdom of our predecessors.
This series seeks to bring back a sense of continuity, to show a correlation between the ancient and the modern, and recognize that the steps in between have all played a role in how we live in this world. Every generation influences the next, and We Are Patriarchs of the future.
Elke Reva Sudin is a visual artist who draws inspiration from urban culture and her Jewish heritage. She received critical acclaim for her “Hipsters and Hassids” painting series and has been featured in publications such as the New York Press, EL PAÍS, The WG News, The Hartford Courant, World Net Daily, and Tablet Magazine. In 2011, she was named one of the Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” young Jewish innovators. Sudin received a BFA in Illustration from Pratt Institute and lives in Brooklyn, NY. Follow her @elkerevasudin or www.elkerevasudin.com.
Hadas Gallery is located at 541 Myrtle Avenue in The Rohr Jewish Center near the campus of Pratt Institute (between Steuben and Emerson Sts., across from the Pratt Store). Regular gallery hours are Sunday 12-5pm, and Monday through Thursday 1pm-6pm or by appointment.
Hadas Gallery is a project of the Rohr Jewish Center, a cultural and educational organization, serving the Pratt community.