Ink on broken eggshells, 2021

Named after the pamphlet by Menasseh ben Israel defending Jews against accusations of blood libel, Vindiciæ Judæorum celebrates the readmission of the Jews into England in 1656 and Bevis Marks Synagogue’s 320 year history as the UK’s oldest still-living community. Comprising 32 broken eggshells mounted on paper, the imagery centres around the synagogue, Jewish ritual objects and practices, and things linked to the history of the Jewish community and their readmission.  In the pamphlet, it states that Jews are not even permitted to eat an egg in which a single bloodspot is found. By drawing on eggshells, I reference this point whilst highlighting the fragility and precarious nature of readmission. Using natural elements serves as a reminder of how delicately balanced natural systems are, and the knock-on impact something like diminished sunlight can have. That fragility and precariousness is echoed by the threat to the synagogue today that proposed building work poses.