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Artist Talk with Siona Benjamin

Artist Talk with Siona Benjamin

The lecture will begin with a screening of Blue Like Me: The Art of Siona Benjamin, a documentary about the artist and India’s Bene Israel community, including interviews about the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and their effect on the community. The 30-minute film was directed and produced by Hal Rifken.

Benjamin is a painter originally from Mumbai, now living in the U.S. Her work reflects her background of being brought up Jewish in a predominantly Hindu and Muslim India. In her paintings, she combines the imagery of her past with the role she plays in America today, making a mosaic inspired by both Indian miniature paintings and Sephardic icons.

This lecture is accompanied by a section on the artist’s multicultural childhood. Photos and information about the 2,000-year-old Indian Jewish community will be embellished with personal photos focusing on her Diasporic Bene Israel Indian Jewish family and life journey.

Benjamin holds MFAs in painting and theater set design. She has exhibited in the U.S., Europe and Asia. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 2010-11 for an art project titled Faces: Weaving Indian Jewish Narratives. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Financial Times, The Jewish Week, The Boston Globe, Art in America, Art New England, Art and Antiques, ArtNews, Moment magazine and more.

Benjamin's exhibition Siona Benjamin: Blue Like Me is on display in the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art through April 12.

Admission is free.

Sponsored By
William Rolland Gallery

Contact

Rachel Schmid
rtschmid@callutheran.edu
Website

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