One Artist, two shows in NYC
Sam Griffin’s wartime paintings will be on exhibition at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum and at the Altneu Synagogue, April trough June 2025.
The works was on exhibition in Jerusalem both as part of the 6th edition of The Jerusalem Biennale (March-April 2024) and then, in a larger scale, at the Heichal Shlomo Museum under the title of Second Draft.
“In the heart of Jerusalem, an extraordinary exhibition titled Second Draft sheds light on the intersection of art and war. Created by British Israeli artist Sam Griffin, the exhibition reflects his experiences as a reservist during the Israel-Hamas conflict… In Second Draft Griffin captures the quiet violence of memory through landscapes that pulse with understated tension. His brushwork evokes the stillness of days spent stationed on the border, where the absence of action only heightens the emotional weight.”
VERONICA NEIFAKH, TheMediaLine.com
Now, the works are to be presented in six different venues around the U.S.
“Though, in the Aftermath paintings, he stressed, “These are not archetypal soldiers in an archetypal war — they are archetypal Israeli soldiers in an archetypal Israeli war. Israeli wars are different from other wars. Wars are forced upon us. In both the Yom Kippur War or the current war we were attacked. We are the most peace-loving people, especially those living in a kibbutz. They want to serve as the bridge. It’s the safest place in the world. For something so horrible to happen here…”
Dr. Bernard Heller Museum
U.S. premiere of Israeli artist's Sam Griffin's exhibition of paintings expressing resilience and hope for peace.
Sam Griffin: Aftermath
Opened: Tuesday April 22, 2025
Program featured Artist Sam Griffin in conversation with James Snyder, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director of The Jewish Museum, New York
with 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
Israeli artist Sam Griffin grapples with the personal and collective trauma sparked by October 7th and the ensuing war. The quick, trembling brushwork and erasure of layers of paint in his disquieting landscapes express the psychological and physical intensity of war and its aftermath.
This exhibition was initiated and 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
The Altneu Synagogue
How does one paint the pain, the trauma, of combat post-October 7? How does one find spiritual solace through art and creative expression? Join us for a moving exhibition and reception at the Altneu, in collaboration with the Jerusalem Biennale and Helwaser Gallery, with Israeli artist Sam Griffin. Presented in honor of Israel’s Memorial Day.
Rough Draft
Opened: Monday April 28, 2025
