Good morning, bom dia, boker tov!Shabbat Shalom to all 🖖This artwork is called Twelve Tribes.Each Star of David has a name of one tribe in it and if you look carefully you will see a hamsah (the hand), protective Sephardic symbol in the center. This is one of the larger papercuts cut from a single piece of silkscreened paper.How many cuts?Easily thousand or more...Originally I wanted to name this artwork “the tapestry of life”. The symbolism of Life as a thread comes from the Greek mythology where 3 goddesses Moira’s were in charge of human lives: one sister creating a thread, second spooling it and the last sister cutting it.But of course while the thread of human life is being created it’s not spooled but becomes a part of tapestry of other threads, other lives...In this time we live in we seem incapable of seeing nuances or perhaps there’s no time to think how our actions, let alone actions of others affect the world and our own lives.The virus from Africa or China can decimate lives in America and Europe.Our, first world wealth and knowledge, can help people in less fortunate circumstances.We are closer than we think to one another.This is why it’s a specially sad and painful that we are loosing ability to listen to each other. This tapestry of our lives isn’t white and black you know.There’s a lot of nuances.And the greater tapestry, the history of the world is a quilt.Besides the stars with the names of the Jewish tribes, symbolism of Jewish people (mine, not biblical) coming from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, there’s a Sephardic symbol of protection from the evil eye, hamsah, as well as the birds, an Ashkenazi traditional symbol of god luck.While hamsah is an amulet, the birds were used on the wedding cake as a decoration (remember, there’s no graven images of humans allowed in Jewish art).The fish is a symbol of many...as in caviar representing many lives.And there are Shabbat candles, women dancing in celebration of life.In many ways papercutting (at least the way I work) is similar to weaving a tapestry as everything has to be connected.There’s always a larger pattern that one has to keep in mind but it’s the tiny details that make the whole a piece of art.Take care everyone!Don’t forget the 132 people taken as hostages by pure evil.Remember their families as well.Remember brave men and women of IDF and their families that are making the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.And to all of Israel!This artwork is named 12 tribes.Each tribe according to the Bible bears a name of one of the 12 brothers, children of Jacob.Jacob who changed his name to Israel and so we are all children of Israel!To all of you I wish safety and peace!Shabbat Shalom 🖖