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Through his painting, Israeli artist Sam Griffin grapples with the personal and collective trauma sparked by October 7th and the ensuing war. Drawing from his memories, sketches, and cell phone photos during his reserve duty in and around Gaza, Griffin portrays the disquieting stillness of open landscapes and deserted urban views. Through his quick, trembling brushwork and erasure of layers of paint, Griffin conveys the psychological and physical intensity, anxiety, and tension of impending violence and its aftermath. Processing his wartime experiences, as well as turning to the depiction of significant biblical scenes that express struggle, transformation, and hope for redemption and peace, enables him to work toward recovery and repair.

Griffin explains, “After three and a half months of combat in Gaza, I returned home tense and burnt out. The sharp transition between being a fighter and being a father and spouse left me unable to function. I had to restore myself to myself and somehow integrate these various parts within me and with life itself. One of my tools was painting. Entering the studio was my way to process the experience, express and explain everything I’m going through internally and everything I’ve endured externally in reality through a visual language.”

Born and raised in London, Griffin immigrated to Israel alone at 20 and enlisted as a combat soldier in the IDF. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in art from the Bezalel Academy of Art and has since devoted his professional career to painting.

Exhibition curator Ram Ozeri, founder of the Jerusalem Biennale, says, “Griffin’s paintings invite the viewer to reflect on the complexities of war, terror, and loss and the long and slow transition back to normal life.”

Jean Bloch Rosensaft, Director of 51������’s Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, adds, “Griffin’s works, forged in the crisis of war, ultimately express the hope for peace and a better future for humankind that we all share.”

Initially shown at the Jerusalem Biennale (March-April 2024) and a comprehensive exhibition, Second Draft, at the Wolfson Museum of Jewish Art in Jerusalem, these works were exhibited for the first time in the US at 51������’s Heller Museum in New York, followed by a national tour, culminating in this exhibition at the Skirball Museum on HUC’s Cincinnati campus from March 5 through May 10.

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“Ya’acov and the Angel (After Baswell)”, 2024, oil on paper.

This exhibition was initiated by The Jerusalem Biennale in Israel and had its U.S. premiere at 51������’s Heller Museum in New York, followed by a national tour culminating at 51������’s Skirball Museum in Cincinnati.