Artist.
ARTICLE IN VALLEY STREAM HERALD, By Clarissa Hamlin
http://www.liherald.com/detail.html?sub_id=29904
VALLEY STREAM HERALD
January 12, 2011
Neighbors
Valley Stream artist paints with a purpose
Local resident has work on display in Philadelphia museum
By Clarissa Hamlin
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Anyone looking at the art of resident Jacob Mezrahi will be bombarded with not only an image, but a striking message that might just touch their soul.
Specializing in the area of narratives, his art tells a story — one which he hopes will inspire a reaction from the part of his viewers. “Art is meant to be viewed,” he said. “The whole point is for people to see it and walk away feeling different having saw it. I hope people see my work and respond.”
One of Mezrahi’s paintings is featured in an exhibit, “Dura Eurpos,” at the Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art which runs through March 27. His piece, “Moses and the Burning Bush,” is a creative image illuminated by a powerful moral, he said. “I added a story to my own idea of the image,” he said. “I put in a dialogue between God and Moses in the form of a comic into the piece.”
Mezrahi noted that the narrative part of the painting is the message that God is showing Moses that at that time, he could have the strength to step up and be a leader. The 30-inch by 30 size piece was the result of looking at a dozen different images in art books. “Mostly I created the painting and put in colors,” he said. “Most of the painting was my own imagination, but based on changing many different images I saw in art books.” The piece is a part of a collection of biblical-themed artwork on display there. Organized by the Jewish Art Salon that Mezrahi is a member and in collaboration with the museum, the event creators were inspired by biblical artwork uncovered in a synagogue around the 1920s in Syria — the synagogue had been around since 17,000 years ago, Mezrahi said.
“The exhibit creators wanted to re-create murals on the synagogue walls uncovered through modern day eyes,” he said, “so they asked like 30 different artists to contribute one piece and do a modern day image.”
For 30-year-old Mezrahi, art is more than just a way to express himself, it is a way to make a statement. Starting in high school, he has been making artistic statements for 15 years and does not plan on stopping anytime soon. “Art is a way of expressing my ideas, a hobby and chance to get to relax and have stress relief, and an enjoyable outlet that tells what I feel and what I am,” he said.
Following a narrative format, Mezrahi defines each of his paintings with a message ranging anywhere from political to social. Whether a painting is an expression of happiness, sadness, or just meant to make a viewer remember something, the image may be a simple photo that has been altered in an artistic way or a completely new sketch. His paintings come from the heart and are inspired by everyday life, he said.
“I see something that inspires me and if I have time, I go into my studio area and try to start a piece,” he said. “I put my inspiration on canvas.” A painting titled “The Night of Broken Glass” is a special one, he said, that focuses on a message of remembrance pertaining to the Holocaust. Starting with a black and white photo of a synagogue burning during the historic period, Mezrahi replaced the smoke in the picture with writing indicating the Nov. 10, 1938, date of the event.
He noted that the time spent working on a piece depends on whether he has much free time aside from working as a full-time teacher at Murrow High School in Brooklyn. Though he tries to get a lot done in one day, that does not always work out. A piece might be done in a couple of days, or it might take years.
But no matter how much time a painting may take, he said that his family is very supportive. “My parents, wife, friends and everyone I work with support me by going to the exhibits,” he said, “or if in the middle of a painting, I leave it out and people come by and tell me what they think.”