From Generation to Generation (L’DOR V’DOR)

by Gideon Summerfield, Artist

To mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2015 the Jewish Museum, in conjunction with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, is exhibiting 10 portraits of Holocaust Survivors by young artist Gideon Summerfield. Each survivor is captured in biro pen in Gideon’s beautiful detailed style and they are shown holding an object that is important to them.

Having seen Gideon’s work on Twitter I was determined to bring his work to the Jewish Museum – it seemed a perfect match. The relationship between him and the survivors mirrors the work of the learning team where we also encourage close discussion between visiting students and survivors. The encounter between generations is incredibly moving.

Furthermore Gideon’s emphasis on objects (and perhaps the loss and lack of them) also dovetails nicely with our collections and our representation of the Holocaust in the galleries through artefacts and personal testimony. Our visiting students are inspired by Gideon’s skill and his sense of initiative – an amazing young man who is clearly a very special individual.’ – Judith Vandervelde, Senior Educator. 

Artist Gideon Summerfield with survivor Sigi Ciffer in front of his portrait at the opening event of the exhibition at the Jewish Museum

During the latter part of 2013 I completed a personal project, meeting and drawing the portraits of Holocaust Survivors. My rationale was that the survivors were in their twilight years – they were aged in their late eighties and early nineties – so now was a good time (possibly, the only time) to get to meet them and hear their life stories.

I attended an art class held at the Holocaust Survivors Centre in North West London. Weeks passed and I found myself visiting the homes of the survivors. I sat in their gardens, kitchens and front rooms. I met their husbands. I met their wives. I looked at their faces and I began to draw. And as I drew, some of the survivors would talk about what happened to them when they were children. When they were separated from their parents. When they found themselves in concentration camps. When their parents were murdered.

Within days I found myself overwhelmed with the enormity of the experience, of meeting extraordinary people who had led extraordinary lives. Some of the survivors told me a lot and in detail; detail that was difficult to handle. Other survivors did not want to talk so much and if they did, they could not talk about their time during the war. They preferred to talk about their family, their children and grandchildren.

Ten portraits were completed. In most of the drawings the survivors are holding something precious to them. Usually it’s a photograph of parents or a family member who perished in the Holocaust.

Gideon Summerfield with survivors Avram and Vera Shaufeld at the opening of the exhibition at the Jewish Museum

When I started this project, I thought it would be about meeting and then drawing ten survivors. However, I realise now that the project has become a unique and meaningful relationship that I have with each of them and the portraits are just a bonus! It was an extraordinary privilege to learn from these people, to hear about their experiences and find out how they survived the Holocaust.

It was truly amazing to see my portraits displayed in The Jewish Museum and to learn they have been viewed by hundreds of people!

Gideon’s exhibition is open to the public on Sunday 1 February, from 10am – 5pm.