In the Studio:
On October 7th, Sam Griffin was drafted as a reserve combat soldier in the wake of the Simchat Torah massacre. He spent time securing Kibbutzim and Yishuvim in the Gaza Envelope, before entering Gaza itself.
While on active duty on the Israel/Gaza border near Rafiah, Griffin began to produce sketches as a way to process the recent atrocities perpetrated by Hamas, and to document his time in the army. Some of these sketches are from direct observations of his surroundings, while others are taken from the barrage of horrifying images that flooded his phone.
Since being discharged from active duty, Griffin has used his time in the studio to internalize and integrate his experiences as a soldier returning to civilian life. What at first glance seem to be landscape paintings of southern Israel, are in fact snapshots from the first weeks of the war from Griffin’s perspective as a soldier. The views of expansive horizons on the border between Israel, Egypt and Gaza - views that Griffin would stare at while on guard duty.
Current Exhibitions
"There And Back Again"- A group exhibition at Beit Uri Tzvi, Jerusalem.
Upcoming:
"Second Draft" - A Solo Exhibition showing artworks created since being drafted into the IDF reserves a second time this year. Join me on Tuesday, 16th July at 8pm, Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem, for a panel discussion on the use of art as a way to process trauma.Wise Old Man
An Ongoing Project
Wise Old Man communicates two main themes. One being Griffin's search for his family history, one shrouded in mystery. A great grandson to Russian immigrants who fled pogroms and arrived in EAst London at the beginning of the 20th century, there are no photographs and very little information about his ancestors. As he moves further into the future, that information is gradually becoming harder to obtain, the image of his great grandparents becoming harder to grasp. The second is a description of the daily pursuit of holiness, an internal struggle which is wrought with challenges as each individual encounters dark areas of their psyche that thye must challenge and overcome in order to reach the next stage - a better version of themselves that exists in potential - until reaching the "Wise Old Man" archetypical peak as described by Carl Jung, and embodied in Griffin's figures.
Interior Design Collaboration
Since 2020, Sam Griffin has been providing bespoke artworks that are custom produced for the homes of clients both in Israel and the United States.
Desert Landscape
Desert Landscape - Details
Purifying Waters
Purifying Waters - Detail
Jerusalem Skyline
Scottish Woodlands
Seascape
Press
A Contemporary Renaissance for Jewish Art
The Algemeiner
