Guided by a divine specification, Bezalel son of Uri fashioned a sculptural object—the Tabernacle menorah, adorned with knop and flower—an artifact cast and forged in metal, inspired by the natural world and intended to bridge heaven and earth. Moshe Roas's work intuitively fuses diverse, seemingly incongruent materials into a sculptural creation that finds points of equilibrium between weights and textures, between above and below, giving rise to a new material and visual conceptual world.
Following a sustained engagement with the Museum's collection of objects from Morocco, characterized by a fusion of grandeur and mysticism, Roas was reminded of artisans of the past, of traditions of sculptural craftsmanship, and of the labor and precision invested in spectacular ornamentation that seeks to master matter and touch the sublime. Like them, Roas specializes in a range of sculptural techniques and reveals the possibilities embedded in the material, breaking it down to its basic components and reassembling it anew. His own work merges with objects he encountered on his travels in Israel, Japan, the United States, and southern France—charged objects with a past of their own, whose present form is a continuation of their life journey—as well as with natural materials whose age far exceeds that of human beings. In his practice, Roas explores alternative points of intersection between places and times, transforming matter and ideas to create a sculptural installation that constitutes another temporal moment in their histories, while contemplating the capacity of material to become charged with spiritual forces, and even return to life.
Production of the works was made possible through the generosity of Ruth and Andrew Suzman, New York; Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies; Ann and Ari Rosenblatt, Los Angeles; Art Now; Artport; Israel Lottery Council for Culture and Arts
Thanks to: Artis, Daniko Kedar, Peter Reznik, and Orly Tsioni. The artist dedicates the exhibition to the memory of Dana Darvish
