Connecting to local culture

As part of a collaboration between SCE and the Amos Oz Writers’ House in Be'er Sheva, an impressive exhibition titled “Portraits of Women Writers” was displayed to celebrate Women’s Day. Writers’ House is a vibrant and active literary-cultural hub in the community of Be'er Sheva.

The exhibition was created as part of a project in the first-year course “Form Development,” led by designer and lecturer Einat Amir. With the help of Writers’ House director Dana Ben Zaken, a list was compiled of women writers and poets who are residents of Be'er Sheva or whose work has a connection to the city. Each student selected one of these women and was required to conduct in-depth research on her and her work and create a portrait of the woman using a variety of techniques learned in the course.

The students created a variety of collages using face mapping. They selected representative parts of the women's works and sketched them on the writers’ faces. This technique allowed them to integrate the world of design into the world of literature, using a variety of creative elements. Each part of the writer’s face represented a different part of her work.

On the day of the presentation, the students were surprised to receive a visit from author Liza Futerman, who had come to see the artworks and was impressed by the students’ creativity.

In late March, a celebratory event was held at Writers’ House. A special boxed set of postcards bearing selected works was produced. “The learning process was highly interesting and gradual,” said lecturer Einat Amir. “Some of these novels are set in the city of Be'er Sheva, and working with the city’s community has allowed our students to connect to the local culture.”