Artist’s Statement
I express my inner and spiritual values through Biblical images. Although my tapestries are based on Biblical themes, I do not pretend to describe the story but to capture the drama of the scene and its characters in a contemporary abstract artwork using an ancient technique.
My first exhibition in Israel, entitled Genesis Series, which was presented at the Jerusalem Theater in 1978, was the first of more than 60 group and individual tapestry exhibitions throughout the world; and I consider it to be the cornerstone of my mature art.
Although I started my artistic career as a painter, participating in quite a few group and individual exhibitions and achieving considerable success, I continued to seek an artistic language through which to fully express myself. Eventually I became acquainted with the field of textile art, more specifically tapestry, and this medium had a great impact on me. I learned the traditional French techniques of Aubusson and Gobelin tapestries, enriched by the contributions of new materials and modern ideas of our century, and it was through the contact with this old yet new medium that I finally felt I was accomplishing the goal of expressing my inner artistic and spiritual world. It allowed me to bring together the aesthetics in composition with the passion for the medium.
Having settled in the land of the Bible and having absorbed its sights and colors has helped me to re-experience the stories which I have known since childhood. All those images and topics that lay dormant at the back of my mind have now come alive on my loom. I like to represent the elements of nature, such as majestic mountains and changing light, by introducing bold abstract images of my favorite subjects; through the delicacy of the woven threads I am able to represent the sense of balance between storm and tranquility. Another motivation for my new creations has been the sense that our entire life is actually related to the Bible, everything from the judicial system through medicine, to poetry and literature.
Alongside my artistic career, I have initiated and developed an exchange of information between Israeli fiber artists and those from other countries that has provided a channel of dialogue between different cultures, artists and viewers.
In my latest work I have tackled the impact of the Holocaust and have completed a series I call The Prophecy of the Holocaust. This is one of the most powerful series and connects the Bible with today’s reality–Israel as a continuation of the biblical prophecy.
Biographical Notes
Sylvia Feinstein was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she was awarded her BA in Fine Arts (1967) at Manuel Belgrano School of Art. She continued studies in painting, etching, and ceramics and expanded her preferred medium, completing her studies in weaving at the Aroztegui’s Advanced School of Weaving Art in Montevideo, as well as post graduate studies at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Since 1977, Ms. Feinstein has made her permanent home in Israel. In addition to creating tapestries, she has taught, organized weaving seminars, and developed an art and craft exchange program between Israel and other countries.
Sylvia invited Professor Aroztegui to Israel, organizing his lectures on Latin America Tapestry, which took place at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and Shenkar College of Design in Ramat Gan.
In 1988 Feinstein produced the audiovisual on ISRAELI CONTEMPORARY ARTCRAFTS, sponsored by the Argentine-Israel Cultural and Scientific Interchange Institute. The English and Spanish audiovisual was screened in several cities of Latin America, as well as USA and Europe.
In 1991 her article “Weaving and the Bible” is published in Ariel Review of Arts and Letters in Israel” of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which travels the world translated in five languages.
In 1994 Ms. Feinstein was invited by the “Israel-Ibero America Cultural Center” of the Foreign Ministry to travel to Central and South America to give a series of lectures about Israeli Arts and Crafts and to develop new cultural ties throughout the region. Conferences took place at Museums, Art Schools, Universities and Community Centers, and emphasized the role of tapestry as a fine art medium. Among the tapestry themes were: “Song of Songs” Tapestries and “The Bible in Israeli Tapestry”.
In 1996 Ms. Feinstein was invited by IBACA (Israel-Belgium Arts & Crafts Assoc.) in order to exhibit her works and lecture in Belgium.
Artist Sylvia Feinstein and writer Carmela Lev-Ari, mother and daughter, are the authors of “Reincarnation and Holocaust”, an artistic book.
Beyond the blood ties and sharing the creative dimension, they are bound by their connection with the Holocaust theme, each one through her professional expression.
The Book can be found at the Holocaust Art Library at Yad Vashem’s Holocaust Art Research Center.
She has participated in over 60 individual and group exhibitions and her works have been selected to be shown in eight Municipal and National Art Events in Argentina and Uruguay, as well as in various art competitions in Israel.
Ms. Feinstein’s hand woven tapestries are in both private and public collections world-wide including: The Municipal Museum of Art of Montevideo, Uruguay; Sharei Zedek Hospital, Jerusalem (The offices of the Board of Directors); Kibbutzim in Israel; Moreshet Abraham Synagogue, Jerusalem, Israel.
Selected Exhibitions
1969 Uruguayan Art -Craft Exhibition – Estudio A– Montevideo, Uruguay
1970 XVII National Exhibition –Art Museum of Montevideo (Acquisition award) Montevideo, Uruguay
1970 XXXIV National Exhibition – Montevideo, Uruguay
1971 Estudio A – Individual exhibition, Montevideo, Uruguay
1972 XXXVI National Exhibition –Honorable citation, Montevideo, Uruguay
1972 First National Exhibition of Tapestries – Eduardo Sivori Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1973 First National Tapestry Meeting, YMCA Gallery – Montevideo, Uruguay
1974 Attica Gallery – Olivos – Individual exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1974 II Municipal Tapestries Exhibition–(Honorable citation), Eduardo Sivori Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1974 Museum of Tucuman – San Miquel de Tucuman, Argentina
1975 Uruguayan Tapestries Show, previous to the Uruguayan–Brazilian and Argentine Meeting of Tapestries – Subte Municipal – Montevideo, Uruguay
1976 National Meeting of the Mini Tapestry – YMCA Gallery – Montevideo, Uruguay
1978 Jerusalem Theatre Gallery – Individual exhibition “Genesis Series”, Jerusalem, Israel
1980 Mabat Art Gallery – Individual exhibition – Tel Aviv, Israel
1982 Daniela Peleg Gallery – Houston, Texas– USA-
1982 Mabat International Art Gallery – Toronto, Canada
1983 YMCA Gallery – Individual exhibition – Jerusalem, Israel
1984 Hotel Laromme – Jerusalem, Israel
1985 Hebraica Argentine Society – Buenos Aires, Argentina
1986 Daniel Hotel – Herzliya, Israel
1987 The Courtyard Gallery, Jewish Quarter, Old City – “Tree of Life Series” Jerusalem, Israel
1987 Jerusalem Theatre Art Gallery – Jerusalem, Israel
1987 Buenos Cultural Center – Individual exhibition – Buenos Aires, Argentina
1988 Temple Beth Sholom –Individual exhibition, Miami Beach, Fl. – USA –
1989 Alix de Rothschild Competition –(Finalists Works) Jerusalem Theatre, Jerusalem, Israel
1991 American Cultural Center – Individual exhibition – Jerusalem, Israel
1992/3 Bible Lands Museum – Jerusalem, Israel
1994 Israel- Argentine Cultural Center – Individual exhibition – Buenos Aires, Argentina
1995/6 Hebrew Union College –Individual exhibition, Jerusalem, Israel
1996 Romi Goldmuntz Center – Individual exhibition, Antwerp, Belgium
1996 Israel Discount Bank – Main Branch – Individual exhibition, Jerusalem, Israel
1997 Museum of Religious Arts and Crafts – The Great Synagogue – Jerusalem, Israel
1998 Nesher Cultural Center – “Threads of Light” – Nesher, Israel
1998/9 Jerusalem Int’l Convention Center – Individual exhibition, Jerusalem, Israel
2000/1 Moreshet Avraham Congregation – individual exhibition Jerusalem, Israel
2000/1 Hebrew Union College, Beit Shmuel – Jerusalem, Israel
2005 Jerusalem Int’l Convention Center “Feast of Tabernacles” exhibition, Jerusalem, Israel
2011 Museum of the Holocaust of Montevideo- Individual exhibition, Montevideo, Uruguay
2014 Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs & Heroes Remembrance Authority: Permanent Archive
2022 Yedidya Congregation – individual exhibition Jerusalem, Israel
2023 Hebrew Union College Heller Museum, New York
2024 Jerusalem Theatre Art Gallery – Jerusalem, Israel
PAINTING EXHIBITIONS
1965-”SEMANARIO MARCHA” (Montevideo) Ind. Exhibition
1966- LIROLAY Art Gallery (Buenos Aires) Ind. Exhibition
1968- “YOUNG PAINTERS” Caja Obrera Gallery (Montevideo)
1978- THREE WOMEN PAINTERS, Khan Theatre Gallery (Jerusalem)