Me’irah Iliinsky
is both a Rabbi and an artist. Her art gives expression to a celebration of what she calls "Living in the Jewish paradigm." She uses color and pattern as a portal for experiencing Jewish literary tradition from a visual perspective.
Me'irah has done art work all her life. She has taken her inspiration from folk art, fairy tale illustration, illuminated manuscripts, the Pre-Raphaelites, the Arts and Crafts movement, Ze’ev Raban, Leonard Bakst.
She has exhibited textiles and painted ceramics in the United States beginning in the 1970's, and now, after spending two years studying, painting and exhibiting in Israel, she brings a fresh medium to her artwork: gouache illustration.
She is available for special commissions (verses of your choice), commemoratives, ketubahs, certificates, gifts for life cycle events, memorials, etc. Prints of her work can be ordered with hand painted gilding, which brings them very near to the original.
All her works come with detailed translation and commentary on the back. You can order artwork directly from her studio in Williamsburg, Virginia.
News
Me'irah's artwork will be featured in the URJ (Reform Movement's Press) upcoming book: The Torah: A Woman's Commentary, due to be released next fall. Her undulating border and icons identifying the various types of commentary enhance the text with an esthetic touch, making it a pleasure to read. The border and icons feature the grapevine, pomegranate and olive, three of the seven fruits of Israel. To read more about the book, check out this article from The Women of Reform Judaism's web site.
