Take a virtual abstract art tour

May 30, 2020 10:00 a.m.

The City’s online gallery now includes art symbolizing Jewish heritage 

The City continues to enhance its online offerings in response to COVID-19, including growing its digital corporate art gallery. Browse through the latest themed art instalment – SYMBOLIC EXPRESSIONISM | Reflections on Jewish Heritage – recently added to Vaughan’s Flickr collection. 

The new curated painting series, which was previously on display at Vaughan City Hall, depicts the work of three internationally accomplished York Region artists of Jewish descent – Rachel Ovadia, Rina Gottesman and Bianka Guna. It conveys cultural traditions and ideologies by using symbolism expressively to contextualize personal experiences drawn from the artists’ Jewish heritage. This is effectively realized through painterly abstract techniques, including simplicity of line, suggestion of form and blocking of colour. 

For Rachel, her exploration of symbolism references the Kabbalah and Numerology drawn from ancient Judaic origin. Abstract symbols become cryptic messages through strong brush strokes and bold, minimalist lines in her work. 

Born in Israel as a child of Holocaust survivors, Rina’s life experiences, spirituality and Jewish heritage influence her artistic perspective. Her works feature bold, expressive mixed-media compositions with a strategic balance of colour, line and texture. 

Bianka’s work is inspired by the lyrical style of Israeli music. A vibrant paint palette is used to create an expression of colour, movement and composition. Patterns also become symbols of expression, sentiment, mood and philosophical approach.
 
The 12 curated works of art from this collection have been included in the City’s online gallery in honour of Jewish Heritage Month in May. This collection strengthens the City’s mission to create an inclusive city, where people of all backgrounds and nationalities can thrive. These works also recognize the City’s commitment to fostering active, safe and diverse communities – one of the strategic priorities in the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan (PDF).
 

Curated over the past 13 years, the City launched its online gallery on April 17, 2020 to profile artistic excellence, inspire emerging and established talent, embrace equality and diversity, and foster art appreciation. The City’s own Corporate Art Collection currently houses 78 permanent acquisitions of art that profile an eclectic range of subject matter, art media, technique and style that includes painting, photography, mixed-media and digital imagery. Explore the full collection virtually on the City’s Flickr page. 

A personal Flickr account is not required to access the City’s online gallery. More information is also available at vaughan.ca/art. 

To learn more about the City’s latest COVID-19 response efforts:

Additional resources related to the global pandemic are also available online from York Region Public Health at york.ca/COVID19. Those who feel unwell and believe they have symptoms of the virus should contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. 

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