December 2011, Pages 56-57

Music & Arts

Chamy's "Of Refuge, Of Home" Explores Family Myth and History

(L-r) Joe, Adam and Judy Chamy stand by Adam’s painting of great-grandfather Nicolas deSimini. (Staff photo D. Zaru)

The Jerusalem Fund Gallery in Washington, DC held a Sept. 30 opening reception for artist Adam Chamy's month-long exhibit, "Of Refuge, Of Home." Chamy's collection of family portraits and installation works explore the stories of his Palestinian-Texan family with deep roots in the American frontier south as well as a deep love for a distant homeland suffering colonization and catastrophe. Guests viewed the art and discussed it with Chamy, former director of the AET Book Club.

The portraits depict family members Chamy either knew as a child or merely through photographs, stories and old diary entries. The faces of Texan farmers hang side by side with Jerusalem merchants.

"I was interested in the idea of myth and legend, particularly in one's own family," explained Chamy. "I weaved through the clutter and picked out a few stories and memories that really spoke to me."

The subjects of the portraits include his great-grandfather Nicolas deSimini, a Palestinian merchant of Italian origin, his Texan grandmother "Gran," and his Catholic Palestinian grandmother, whose face is depicted in "Sitti" through an old frame and illuminated by the orange glow of candles that line the edges of the piece.

"An exploration of family history speaks to the audience," noted Jerusalem Gallery curator Dagmar Painter. "It resonates with everybody because everyone has immigrant ancestors and everyone has a family story."

The artist shared bits and pieces of his stories through poetic descriptions that accompanied each piece, and while each is distinct, the collection is unified by a sense of antiquity. Chamy created shadows and drew heavily from a palette of gold, ochre and shades of brown to invoke the feel of "something old." Other works incorporated found objects like a door, an old suitcase or a frame.

"Each object has worn edges and a past and a story that is already in the piece," said Chamy. "More often than not, I found the object and the story came out of it."

In "Diptych 1952 (Mom and Dad)," Chamy's parents, Joe and Judy, are depicted through two-paneled childhood portraits, painted on the inside of an old suitcase, which represents their unification through travel. Joe immigrated to the U.S. from East Jerusalem, and Judy moved from a small town in Texas to Fort Worth, where they met.

"The portraits brought tears to my eyes because Adam put his heart and soul into his work," said Judy Chamy, "and his writing is almost as moving as the art itself."

For more information visit: <www.thejerusalemfund.org>.

—Deena Zaru