Bere’shith (In the Beginning) 

“Bere’shith” is the first Hebrew word in Genesis and means "in the beginning." This work is my story of starting again after considerable loss in my life, which warranted a reflection on the larger meaning of cycles, death, and renewal. Coming through this pain and starting again on new land is what inspired this project.

In the Jewish tradition, we have a yearly cycle of reading the torah, starting over again each year from the beginning of the scroll, reading the same words. However, the text takes on new meaning as we evolve, thus reflecting the spiral variation of a cycle as we move forward in time. In short, the project investigates what it means to be human, to move through sadness, to start again, to create a new life, and to be alive. 

The images reflect the symbolism of cycles that encompass reformation and transformation, just like the caterpillar digests its own body to restructure its DNA into a new organism. This is why I chose to use the chrysalis to mark movement throughout the book. To me, this references the “welter and waste,” or chaos that lacks form, from the first sentence of Genesis. This tumultuous start transforms into something new, an ultimate peace in a new land (Exodus).

This work is my spiral, my renewal, and dare I say – heaven presented through light.