Rotem Lewinsohn &

Mervat Hakroosh

Forbidden Love

Israel, 2010

Necklace

Materials:

Filo Dough, Artificial leather, Brass and

Copper wires

Techniques:

Press forming with Iron, Knitting and

Baking

Dimension in cm:

26 x 33 x 19

Artist Statement:

The Middle East is a sensitive place. We

both wanted to express an aspect of the

Middle East, besides the way it is depicted

in the media. Despite the hatred, the

dispute and the conflict, there is harmony.

We decided to speak of this harmony and

realize that the subject exists beneath the

surface. This type of love is still not

accepted in both Jewish and Palestinian

society, but it does exist.

What was your starting point or your

inspiration for doing this project?

Our starting point was due to a personal

experience. Both of us are close friends, in

and outside of school. Our lives are very

similar in many ways.

Do you have a personal (or other)

connection to the exhibition’s theme?

Yes. We both live in the Middle East and

have a close connection to the theme of the

exhibition. Both of us represent the two

peoples that are in conflict.

What were the main reasons for choosing

the materials, shapes or technique in your

work?

We chose to use materials and techniques

that we both developed. The materials we

chose are regularly used in different ways.

Such as the copper and brass wires that

were pressed into the artificial leather with

heat and the filo dough that was baked into

its final shape and into a piece of jewelry.

What kind of feeling you wish the viewers

will get from your work?

We would like to convey to the viewers of

our work the bonds between the impossible,

such as in love. And all this is projected

into the jewelry piece.

If you could give your Jewelry to an

important figure in the Middle East who

will he/she be? and why?

We would like to present our jewelry piece

to leaders of the two peoples, which do not

have faith in the possibility of both sides

living on the same land.

Personal information:

Browsing

Facebook – Rotem Lewinsohn

Facebook – Mervat Sofi

Inspiring artists

Rotem: David Hockney, Issey Miyake,

Martin Margiela,  Marcel Wanders

Mervat: Zaha Hadid, Hussein Chalayan,

Shirin Nashat, Vered Kaminsky

Top 3 materials

Rotem: Silver, Pearls, Fabrics

Mervat: Copper, Velvet, Ready-Made

Objects

If I wasn’t an artist what profession would I

choose?

Rotem: Musician

Mervat: Politician

My dream is

Rotem: to have my own studio

Mervat: to enhance awareness towards art

& design in Israel