The Jerusalem Zoo

At the Jerusalem Zoo, I am always stunned by the spaces: the huge animal enclosures and the total absence of bars. Instead of bars, there are transparent screens. The humans and the animals can watch each other through these screens. The animals look rather more impressive. I have often visited the zoo with my friend and colleague Natasha Goncharova, her children, and my son, using these opportunities to practice our crafts. At a certain point, we decided to create an exhibition of the works of artistic moms and the drawings of their sons. On the basis of the brief sketches made at the zoo, we created large-scale paintings in my studio. The results were interesting. Our curator, Galina Bleikh, made an installment of her own, and we were joined by my artistically-minded grandson. This made the exhibition even more interesting. The children taught us artistic boldness and spontaneity, while we taught them respect for their work. I recall the exhibition, and the preparations that preceded it, with great warmth.