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To start the guided tour:
A narrative artist, David Labkovski (1906-1991) examined his experiences of World War II, the Holocaust and their aftermath in autobiographical drawings and paintings. Grounded in memory, his work is a visual diary in oil, gouache, charcoal and pen drawings, offering glimpses of the thriving Jewish community in Vilna (or current day Vilnius) Lithuania, of what he endured in a Soviet forced-labor camp, of the looting and destruction of Vilna, and of his search for peace and renewal. Generously loaned from private collections.
Curated by Leora Raikin and Stephanie Wolfson of the David Labkovski Project.
As you explore the exhibit, notice the ways Labkovski remembers his life before and after the Holocaust. Though his entire portfolio was painted after moving to Israel, the difference between the Vilna of his youth and the one he returned to is clear in his art. Rich, vibrant colors become muted and gray, evoking the emotions he must have felt during the different periods of his life.
You can see some examples of how Labkovski documents his personal history on this page. What do you feel, seeing the same scenes painted in very different ways?
Want to share? Submit your reflection on one of Labkovski’s pieces to DLP’s Reflect & Respond Program.
With antisemitism on the rise, it’s important to understand our history so that we don’t let the conditions that allowed the Holocaust to occur to happen again.
DLP encourages you to think about the ways to contribute to a brighter, more tolerant future. Ask yourself:
