April 22 – June 26, 2025
Exhibition opening: Tuesday, April 22 at 6-8 pm
Program at 7 pm: Artist Sam Griffin in Conversation with James Snyder, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director of The Jewish Museum, New York; Remarks by Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., Hebrew Union College President; Yael Hashavit, Israel Consul for Cultural Affairs in North America; and Co-Curators Ram Ozeri, The Jerusalem Biennale, and Jean Bloch Rosensaft, Heller Museum
Since October 7th, the world has experienced the horrific impact of a war that has lasted nearly 18 months, with vivid images of death, displacement, and destruction. Sam Griffin is among Israeli artists of all disciplines who are using art as a way to mirror their experiences, process their memories, and express resilience. In doing so, his works resonate with all those grappling with collective trauma.
Drawing from sketches and photos taken on his phone during his reserve duty in and around Gaza, Griffin has created a series of paintings evoking his experiences. Initially presented in a small solo show at the Jerusalem Biennale (March-April 2024), followed by a more comprehensive exhibition, Second Draft, at the Wolfson Museum of Jewish Art in Jerusalem this winter, his works are on view for the first time in the US at the Heller Museum.
In his timely and meaningful exhibition, Griffin portrays the disquieting stillness of open landscapes and deserted urban views in and around Gaza. Through the very quick application and erasure of his paint, Griffin conveys the psychological and physical intensity, anxiety, and tension of impending violence and its aftermath.
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.”
Exhibition curator Ram Ozeri, founder of the Jerusalem Biennale, says, “Griffin’s process enables him to work toward recovery and repair. His 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, Heller Museum Director, adds, “Griffin’s works, forged in the crisis of war, ultimately convey the human capacity for resilience and express the hope for peace and a better future for humankind that we all share.”
This exhibition was initiated and first presented by The Jerusalem Biennale in Israel. Presented at the Heller Museum with the generous support of The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund; The Lambert Family Foundation; and the Israel Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel, New York.
Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College
Location: One West Fourth Street, New York
On View: April 22- June 26, 2025
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Admission: Free
Tours/Information: 212-824-2218; hellermuseum@huc.edu
Exhibition Catalog: HUC.edu/samgriffincatalog
Free Heller Museum exhibition audio guide at bloombergconnects.org
