B'reishit | בראשית

Susan Schwalb, USA

When I first came across the Sarajevo Haggadah, I was powerfully stirred by images of arc and circle that had obsessed me for several years. For this project, I stayed close to the symbolic imagery of this Sarajevo manuscript where the sun, moon, and earth are clearly rendered by circular forms. By dragging a silver rod or wire across a gesso surface, I drew six small circles to symbolize each of the six days of the Creation story and one large circle for the day of rest. I added acrylic paint and gold leaf to evoke the feeling of early manuscripts. The drawing inside each circle is an abstract rendering of the world slowly coming into being, forming the Creation narrative.

Professional Background Susan Schwalb is one of the foremost artists in the revival of the ancient technique of silverpoint drawing in America. Schwalb’s oeuvre ranges from drawings on paper to artist books and paintings on canvas. Her work is represented in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the National Gallery and the Library of Congress, Washington, DC; the British Museum, London; the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.