Omanut (art) Mask & More with Gili Pavlov

This morning I had the privilege of speaking with Gili Pavlov from Omanut (art) who runs that chug (activity) Masks and More. It’s very unique as the chug starts with the chanichim (campers) getting to talk about who they are, how they view themselves, what they feel is unique about them as individuals, what their hobbies, beliefs, and talents are. The lesson continues with the introduction to the Israeli artist Piven who creates self-portraits in cartoon-like creations using all different types of objects to create the pictures.  The chanichim had the opportunity to create “Piven” like creations where they used all different types of objects to make self-portraits.

Another part of the chug is exploring the world of masks. Learning about the art form of masks and the different cultures they exist in such as Africa, the Venice mask festival, or Comedy Del Art Theater.  Not only are masks used in cultural art creations but the mask has also become associated with superheroes as a tool that gives power, or on the opposite spectrum disguises weaknesses, or gives a person the ability to become someone else by using a mask as a form of transformation.

This chug was very special as it gave the chanichim the opportunity not only to create personal masterpieces but it also becomes a springboard for dialogue about how we view ourselves, how we view others when do we feel most free to express ourselves and what is the meaning one “one’s true self?”

Click below to see Piven and his amazing creations come to life!

Hanoch Piven was born in Uruguay and moved to Israel with his family at the age of eleven. He grew up in Ramat Gan. He studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York, graduating in 1992.  When he returned to Israel in 1995, he began to work for Haaretz newspaper. Piven’s illustrated compositions are assembled from common objects and scraps of materials, including items that might be associated with the subject. His caricatures appear in Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic Monthly, The Times, and Entertainment Weekly, among other publications. (Source Wikipedia).

We are very privileged to have Gili here with us from Israel for her first summer on tzevet (staff) here at Machaneh Ramah. When Gili is not at Ramah she is a social worker, working with children and elders dealing with dementia. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband (who is on tzevet agam-waterfront) and 3 children.