Jewish Artist Siona Benjamin Brings Hindu and Muslim Motifs to Portrayals of Biblical Outcasts

JEWISH JOURNAL
By Chavie Lieber

Screenshot from artist Sonia Benjamin's Web site.

NEW JERSEY---In the space of a single painting, Siona Benjamin juxtaposes feminism, Indian mythology and Jewish imagery. On a three-foot canvas, she’ll paint a portrait of a blue-skinned figure, usually a character from the Bible, with nods to Persian miniatures, Talmudic fables and Vishnu gods. Often there's a message in Arabic. “I want people to realize there can be a universal message in Jewish art,” Benjamin told JTA. “I’m a Jewish woman of color and a feminist with Islamic and Hindu influences, and they are all a part of me.” [link]