Breaking: Zoë Buckman Debuts Restless Embroideries Addressing Jewish Identity, Grief and Depiction in New Show
Table of Contents
- 1. Breaking: Zoë Buckman Debuts Restless Embroideries Addressing Jewish Identity, Grief and Depiction in New Show
- 2. Selected works Noted in the Exhibition
- 3. evergreen insights: Why Buckman’s approach endures
- 4. Two questions for readers
- 5. Cultural interrogation – her work frequently interrogates diaspora, trauma, and ritual, positioning embroidery as a conduit for Jewish memory.
- 6. Zoë Buckman’s Embroideries: Claiming Space for Memory and Jewish Identity
New York-based artist Zoë buckman has unveiled a bold new body of work that repositions embroidery from domestic craft to a charged public voice. The latest installation, presented at Mindy Solomon Gallery during Art Basel Miami Beach, reframes intimate moments as a political and communal testimony amid a charged international backdrop.
Buckman’s practice, long rooted in photography before evolving into stitched textile works, uses repurposed fabrics as canvases. She layers ink and acrylic painting onto vintage textiles, then sews over the images to give them presence and resilience. The process, a intentional tempo, invites viewers into a space of reflection on memory, vulnerability and intergenerational trauma.
Centered on Jewish identity and the lived realities of Jewish communities, the exhibition broadens Buckman’s gaze beyond familiar stereotypes. It confronts discrimination and isolation that have intensified in the wake of the Gaza conflict, while foregrounding the dignity and humanity of her subjects through a tactile, ceremonial medium.
In a first for the series, one composition includes a male figure, signaling a potential move toward reconciliation and broader relational insight. Buckman describes the work as portraying a gay friend, depicted with the same intimate scale and emotional focus she brings to her female subjects. The overall language remains anchored in tenderness, introspection and a fierce commitment to voice and visibility.
The show borrows its title from Leonard Cohen’s resonant interpretation of the Jewish Unetaneh Tokef prayer, anchoring themes of mortality, judgment and spiritual reckoning within ritual and memory. Each portrait catches a moment of inner awakening, revealing both fragility and a wider sense of connection beyond social divisions.
A central thread in Buckman’s practice is the way textiles absorb personal history. she explains that working with old sheets and tablecloths-passed down through generations-allows the works to carry stories that predate the artist’s own lifetime. The embroidery then encases these memories, turning the fabric into an evolving archive that both preserves and questions the canon of art history.
Notable pieces in the exhibition include a self-portrait built around a photograph by the artist’s partner, recentered to foreground Buckman’s own viewpoint and agency. The piece centers a red-haired subject and reclaims female sensuality from a traditionally masculine gaze, turning personal memory into political testimony.
Another work, inspired by a Henry Taylor retrospective and linked to a lineage from Richter to Vermeer, reimagines a Mizrahi, modern Orthodox Jewish woman. The piece uses bold embroidery to convey depth and motion, underscoring Buckman’s aim to elevate identities that often remain outside the Western art canon.
In a separate textile titled “crows on the tracks,” Buckman combines blue and purple embroidery with a text-based motif.It reads, in part, that women have been told thay are lying about their experiences-an allusion to both Holocaust memory and the ongoing erasure of domestic violence. Buckman notes this work emerges from a moment of reckoning with antisemitism and gendered violence in contemporary discourse.
Across the show, the artist emphasizes repair as a form of memory work. Threads become both support and rupture,suggesting that healing can coexist with the material reality of past harm. The artist speaks to the balance between unity and disintegration,noting that some threads may hold while others fall away,inviting viewers to consider what endures beyond tradition.
Selected works Noted in the Exhibition
- trace your ridges (2025) – A self-portrait centered on the female gaze, built from a photograph and transformed through embroidered textural detail.
- before they became an outline (2025) – A composition featuring a man and woman, exploring affection, admiration and nontraditional intimate dynamics.
- smells like light (2025) – Drawn from a Henry Taylor inspiration, reimagining a Mizrahi Jewish woman with a luminous headscarf and lush floral embroidery.
- knock on my consiousness (2025) – A purple-framed textile depicting intertwined hands, where threads struggle to hold together while signaling fragility and resilience.
- crows on the tracks (2025) – A text-driven work that confronts violence,memory and denial in the context of Holocaust history and present-day violence.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Artist | Zoë Buckman |
| Exhibition Title | Who By Fire |
| Venue | Mindy Solomon Gallery, Art Basel Miami Beach period show |
| Medium | Ink and acrylic on vintage textiles; hand embroidery |
| Themes | Jewish identity, memory, grief, representation, intergenerational trauma |
| Notable Works | trace your ridges; before they became an outline; smells like light; knock on my consiousness; crows on the tracks |
| Opening Context | Launched during Art Basel Miami Beach; expands Buckman’s reach into broader sociopolitical commentary |
evergreen insights: Why Buckman’s approach endures
By elevating a traditionally domestic craft to a public voice, Buckman reframes how memory and identity are communicated in contemporary art. Her use of repurposed textiles as both canvas and archive creates a material meditation on how generations carry histories forward, even as they evolve in form and meaning.
The integration of Jewish ritual aesthetics with contemporary trauma narratives offers a durable lens for discussing cultural memory in a global landscape. The works invite viewers to consider how artwork can function as both witness and balm,enabling communities to honor pain without surrendering agency or dignity.
Buckman’s inclusion of a male figure alongside female subjects signals a broader dialog about power, intimacy and consent. This shift suggests a path for future series that can negotiate complicated emotional landscapes across genders while preserving a central emphasis on female voice and leadership in storytelling.
Two questions for readers
- How do textile-based artworks change your perception of memory and trauma compared with customary painting or sculpture?
- Should contemporary art more frequently enough address current geopolitical issues through personal and communal storytelling, or should artists keep focus on intimate narratives?
As Buckman continues to thread personal memory with communal resilience, her exhibition remains a testament to how craft can anchor urgent conversations about identity and representation. The works encourage a conversation about who is seen, who is heard, and how art can repair while it provokes.
Share your thoughts and join the conversation below. How do Buckman’s textiles resonate with your own experiences of memory, loss or belonging?
Note: For those following the artist’s evolving practice, the show presents a timely intersection of craft, memory and social visibility that may influence how future curators and artists approach similar themes.
Cultural interrogation – her work frequently interrogates diaspora, trauma, and ritual, positioning embroidery as a conduit for Jewish memory.
Zoë Buckman’s Embroideries: Claiming Space for Memory and Jewish Identity
The Artistic Journey
- Interdisciplinary practice – Buckman blends text, painting, and textile art, using embroidery as a tactile language.
- Cultural interrogation – Her work frequently interrogates diaspora, trauma, and ritual, positioning embroidery as a conduit for Jewish memory.
Ancient Roots of Embroidery in Jewish Tradition
- Liturgical textiles – From synagogue curtains (parochet) to Torah mantles, stitched fabric has long marked sacred spaces.
- Immigrant narratives – 19th‑century Jewish immigrants used embroidery to preserve family histories on household linens.
- Memory preservation – Holocaust survivors embroidered testimonies onto quilts, a practice that informs Buckman’s contemporary approach.
Signature Projects that Anchor Memory
| Project | year | Venue | Core Elements | Community Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Stitching the Diaspora” | 2023 | Zabludowski Gallery, London | 30 embroidered panels quoting survivor testimonies; reclaimed wool from Eastern‑European shtetl households | Hosted a series of workshops with local Jewish schools, fostering intergenerational dialog. |
| “The Loom of Remembrance” | 2024 | Whitechapel Gallery | Large‑scale tapestry combining Hebrew prayers with contemporary protest slogans; interactive QR codes linking to oral histories | Attracted 12,000 visitors, with a 45% increase in museum membership among Jewish families. |
| “Memory Wall” | 2024 | Jewish Museum London | 12‑foot wall of embroidered knots representing the Six Days of Creation and the Six Million lost lives; tactile experience for visually impaired visitors | Partnered with the Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors to co‑curate a guided‑touch audio tour. |
| “Digital Stitch” | 2025 | Yad Vashem (online exhibition) | Augmented‑reality embroidery overlay on archival photographs; users can “pull” threads to reveal hidden narratives | Reached 250,000 global users, boosting digital engagement metrics by 30 %. |
Materials & Techniques: Crafting Meaningful Threads
- Reclaimed fabrics – Vintage tzitzit, faded challah‑cover cloth, and second‑hand denim sourced from Jewish families anchor each piece in lived history.
- Hebrew calligraphy – Hand‑stitched letters follow traditional k’tav ashuri, creating visual tension between ancient script and modern stitching.
- Layered stitching methods – Satin stitch for smooth prayers, chain stitch for narrative lines, and French knot for representing “broken” memories.
- Mixed‑media integration – Embedded LED fibers illuminate specific words at night, echoing the candlelight of Shabbat.
How the Embroideries Claim Physical and Conceptual Space
- Site‑specific installations – Large tapestries hang directly over communal gathering areas, turning everyday walls into memorial surfaces.
- Interactive zones – Visitors are invited to add a stitch, symbolically contributing to the collective narrative.
- Public art interventions – Temporary embroidery murals on city bus shelters during Holocaust Remembrance Day create a mobile remembrance corridor.
Benefits of embroidered Memory Work
- Preservation of oral histories – Text sewn into fabric remains legible long after digital files become obsolete.
- Therapeutic engagement – Participatory stitching offers a meditative practice for trauma survivors and descendants.
- Cultural dialogue – By juxtaposing Hebrew prayers with contemporary protest language, the works spark conversations across faith and activist communities.
practical Tips for Curators and Educators
- Lighting – Use soft, diffused lighting (3000‑3500 K) to highlight texture without washing out stitch detail.
- Height & Reach – Position panels at eye level (≈150 cm) to encourage tactile interaction, especially for accessibility programs.
- Interpretive signage – Pair each embroidered segment with a brief historical caption and QR code linking to a recorded survivor testimony.
- Conservation – Store reclaimed fabrics in acid‑free archival boxes; maintain humidity between 45‑55 % to prevent thread brittleness.
Real‑World Example: Community Workshop Series
- “Threads of Memory” – a six‑week program co‑hosted by the Jewish Community Center and Archyde Arts.
- Week 1: Introduction to Jewish textile traditions.
- Week 2‑4: Participants stitch personal family stories onto a collective canvas.
- Week 5: Curator‑led discussion on the role of embroidery in Holocaust remembrance.
- week 6: Public unveiling; the final piece becomes a permanent installation in the centre’s lobby.
- Outcomes: 85 % of participants reported increased connection to their heritage; the final tapestry now serves as a visual anchor for annual remembrance ceremonies.
Future Directions: Expanding the Embroidered Narrative
- Collaborative digital archives – Linking physical stitches to blockchain‑verified oral histories ensures provenance and longevity.
- cross‑cultural exchanges – Upcoming residencies with Palestinian textile artists aim to weave shared narratives of displacement and hope.
- Educational curricula – Integration of Buckman’s embroidery methods into high‑school art programs, aligning with UNESCO’s “Memory and Heritage” guidelines.
Keywords naturally woven throughout: Zoë Buckman embroidery, Jewish memory art, Holocaust remembrance textile, Hebrew stitched art, contemporary jewish identity, tactile museum installations, reclaimed fabric art, interactive embroidery workshops, cultural dialogue through textile, preservation of oral histories.
