Ghiora Aharoni (b. 1969)
Make Me A Temple, 2010
In hebrabic© (the artist’s combination of hebrew and Arabic)
Waterjet cut stainless steel, solid walnut; edition of 18
Must Know
Inspired by the shared etymology of hebrew and Arabic (both Semitic languages),
Aharoni created hebrabic/Arabrew© —a phrase-based combination of hebrew and
Arabic that he conceived in 1999.
The sculpture, Make Me a Temple, was inspired by the biblical passage in Exodus. “Make me a temple… so I can dwell
amongst you,” but a more accurate translation is, “Make me a temple so I can dwell
inside you. Aharoni’s work—is an invitation to internal spiritual transformation.
More Info
Make Me a Temple personifies the multifaceted expression of the sacred, invoking the connection between the internal and external realms as well as humanity and the divine—and at the same time, it becomes a signifier of a collective desire for spiritual expression that traverses languages and cultures.
hebrabic/Arabrew© is an integral element of Aharoni’s work in freestanding sculptures, works on paper, glass-engraved assemblage sculptures,site-specific installations and public art installations.
Aharoni’s artworks are characterized by engaging time and text as a medium, and an interest in exploring dualities, such as the intersection of religion and science, and the intertwined relationships of seemingly disparate cultures. Much of his work involves traditional objects or symbols—such as cultural artifacts or sacred texts—that have been recontextualized and imbued with meaning that asks the viewer to question or reconsider their conventional social/cultural significance.
