Edna Miron-Wapner, Canada/Israel

Parshat Lech Lecha

Bio

Edna Miron-Wapner is a Jewish Artist and Expressive Arts Educator living and working in Jerusalem. Edna was born in Israel and grew up in Montreal, Canada and has lived in Jerusalem since 1977. As an artist with specialties in Sumi-e Painting, Calligraphy, Printmaking and Papermaking, she has exhibited her work over the past thirty years in museums and galleries in the US, Israel, Russia and Japan. Her own approach to her art is a spiritual one facilitated through Jewish meditation followed by spontaneous creation.

Reflections on Being a Jewish Woman Artist

I refer to myself as a Jewish Spiritual artist and educator. For me, spiritual art is art that evokes spiritual truths or higher states of consciousness. In the creative process I am led to a greater understanding of myself and my connection to my world. The kavannah (intention) is to heal the body, mind and soul, a personal tikkun (repair) through the art process itself.

In today's confusing world, my challenge as human being is to revive the concept of sacredness and facilitate in myself and others the recovery of our lost souls. Therefore, in pursuing meaning rather than just beauty in artistic expression, I seek to fulfill a deep need in myself for a sense of purpose.

In my teaching, the concept of Expressive Kavannah is born out of this personal experience. My primary interest involves contributing to Jewish learning through the integration of the knowledge and wisdom of Expressive Arts Therapy. Expressive connotes the field of Intermodal Expressive Arts and Kavannah, a term meaning "focused intention", is inspired by the Jewish Mystical tradition.

Let me leave you with a quote from Abraham Joshua Heschel: "Jewish Tradition insists that no performance is complete without the participation of the heart.... It asks for inner participation, not only external action. Kavannah is the awareness of the will of God".