Original artwork description:

65 x 90 cm - Paper and acrylic on canvas - 2022

On the official website of the Shoah Memorial, it is written: "The Shoah means "catastrophe" in Hebrew. This term specifically refers to the killing of nearly 6 million European Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the period of the Second World War."

It is estimated that the Shoah decimated 40% of the world's Jewish population and 50% of those living in Europe.

Esther is a biblical figure from the 5th century. av. BC, whose first name seems to come from the old Persian stareh, "star", "star", recalling the Babylonian goddess Isthar. It is present in the Book of Esther. Wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus, from whom she hid her religion, she prevented the extermination of the kingdom's Jews.
In this painting, I used two types of paper: the first pages of the autobiography "Un vie", by Simone Veil, where she recounts her deportation, and pages from the graphic novel "Anne Frank", by Ari Folman and David Polonsky. We see in particular the plan of the house where Anne was hidden with her family, as well as a visit to a veterinarian who accepts Jews. Just like the grim statistics, I have proportionally distributed the two fates: Simone Veil, who survived, occupies approximately 60% of Esther's face, while Anne fills the remaining 40%, symbolizing the exterminated Jews.

The canvas is varnished and equipped with a hanging system.

Materials used:

Paper and acrylic on canvas

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