(Communciated by the Knesset Spokesperson)

On Tuesday (February 23, 2016) the Knesset opened a permanent ceramics exhibit of ceramics displaying the works of 52 Israeli artists. Knesset Director-General Ronen Plot said he was proud of the exhibit, which gives exposure to Israeli artists. "The Knesset represents and expresses the variety of public opinions, also through the artworks on display in the parliament building," he said. "The ceramic art exhibit is another fascinating aspect of our impressive art collection, which represents generations of rich and diverse Israeli art."

The theme of the ceramic art exhibit is "Identity, material" and its curator is Shlomit Bauman. The exhibit displays the works of 52 Israeli artists, who were selected from a group of more than 150 artists who had offered their works to the Knesset. "We chose works that deal with questions of local and multi-cultural identity, as they are represented with all of their components in the ceramic design field," Bauman said. "Thus was created a modern and complex ceramic design collection consisting of works which represent the material language of Israel's finest ceramic design artists."

The artists whose works are on display include: Ethiopian-Israeli Tenat Awaka, who creates in the language she learned in Ethiopia; Amnon Amos, who creates using three different cultural languages - a Muslim Arabic ornament, the bottom of a Russian samovar and Chinese-inspired ornaments; and Johnathan Hopp, who created his work "neighborhood" using mementos from typical Israeli homes.

Other artists whose works are featured in the exhibit have served as the foundation of the entire ceramic art industry in Israel: Naomi Bitter and Nora Kochavi, Siona Shimshi, Talia Tokatly, Irit Abba and the late Lydia Zavetzky. The exhibit also features the works of some promising young Israeli artists, including Gali Grinspan, Lena Dubinsky and Maya Muchawsky Parnas.

Over the past few years, the Knesset has purchased works by Israeli artists in order to expose contemporary Israeli art as well. As part of this initiative, some five years ago the Knesset opened an exhibit of paintings and photos of contemporary Israeli artists.