Y a ’ a k o v B o u s s i d a n

J E R U S A L E M N A M E S I N P R A I S E

J e r u s a l e m – N a m e s i n P r a i s e i s a n

e x p r e s s i o n o f t h e l i v i n g t i e s

b e t w e e n t h e p e o p l e o f I s r a e l a n d

i t s s p i r i t u a l c a p i t a l , J e r u s a l e m .

T h e b o o k r e v e a l s t h r e e h u n d r e d

a n d s i x t y s i x n a m e s g i v e n t o t h e

c i t y b y J e w i s h p e o p l e ,

c o n t e m p o r a r y p o e t s , a n d o t h e r

b e l i e v e r s w h o h a v e f o u n d t h e i r

r o o t s i n J e r u s a l e m .

In the course of history, many

cities have acquired new names,

each name comes to erase its

earlier identity. In this way

conquerors hoped to leave their

mark for eternity .

Not so for Jerusalem. Unlike other

cities, she has had a succession of

names, strung like beads on a kind

of magic cord. She appears like a

multifaceted gem, a precious

stone splintered by a hammer into

a myriad of different faces .

That is what I found when I came

seeking the known names of

Jerusalem: a brilliant diamond.

J e r u s a l e m - N a m e s i n P r a i s e t o o k e i g h t

y e a r s t o c o m p i l e . T h e s i l k s c r e e n

p r i n t i n g e n d u r e d e i g h t e e n m o n t h s . I n

o r d e r t o e n s u r e t h e q u a l i t y o f t h e

p r o d u c t i o n , t h e p a p e r i s f o r m u l a t e d

b y t h e a r t i s t , e s p e c i a l l y f o r t h i s

b o o k . B o u s s i d a n w a s a c t i v e l y

i n v o l v e d w i t h t h e p r i n t i n g ; h e h a s

p r e p a r e d t h e c o l o u r s d a i l y a n d

g u i d e d t h e e x c e l l e n t p r i n t i n g t e a m .

S o m e o f t h e i m a g e s c o n t a i n u p t o

f o r t y c o l o u r s . E a c h p r i n t h a s b e e n

c h e c k e d a n d a p p r o v e d b y t h e a r t i s t .

“ Y a ' a k o v B o u s s i d a n h a s b e e n e n g a g e d

i n t h e a r t i s t i c d e s i g n o f H e b r e w b o o k s

f o r m a n y y e a r s . H i s p e r s o n a l

i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s , w h i c h g o b e y o n d

i l l u s t r a t i o n , a r e b a s e d o n p r o f o u n d

r e s e a r c h i n t o t h e J e w i s h c o n t e n t o f t h e

b o o k i t s e l f …

B o u s s i d a n d e v o t e s s p e c i a l a t t e n t i o n t o

t h e H e b r e w l e t t e r , w h i c h f o r m s a n

o r g a n i c p a r t o f h i s w o r k . H i s o r i g i n a l

w o r k i s a l w a y s e x e c u t e d w i t h

p e r f e c t i o n ; c a r e f u l a t t e n t i o n i s g i v e n

t o e v e r y e l e m e n t i n c l u d i n g t h e q u a l i t y

o f p a p e r a n d p r i n t i n g . ”

J u r o r s o f t h e J e s s e l s o n P r i z e f o r J u d a i c a ,

1 9 9 0 :

D r . I r i s F i s h o f ( C h a i r m a n ) , I z z i k a G a o n ,

M e n a h e m B e r m a n

Jerusalem is a place.

For some, she is a matrix, a

spiritual haven ;

for others, she is the

foundation and centre of

the world ..…

Jerusalem is a source of

vision, a testimony to love,

and to eternal hope, both

for the Jewish people and

the world :

“For my house will be

called a house of prayer for

all the peoples”.

King David and his Lyre

Consciously or unconsciously, we adapt to the great variety of her lights and are

absorbed by our experience of her, which in turn transforms us.

Jerusalem Toward Sunset

“… Boussidan’s painting of the praying angel is perhaps a new

form of iconography and reminds us in a sense of the

deepest rhythm of faith.

The originality of this composition is to lead the spectator, to look

upwards at the angel - representing Hope. This

angel could be anyone of us…”.

Prof. Rabbi Daniel Sperber

Angel Praying Towards Jerusalem

The Prophet Lamenting Jerusalem

“Jerusalem – Names in Praise” has

been launched at the Israel Museum,

Jerusalem in 2006, and by MP Louise

Ellman at the at the British Parliament

in November 2007.

The book has been recently

traanslated into Italian.

Ya’akov Boussidan is working these

days on a large-scale format of some

of the paintings from the book.

“…Boussidan knows well the

world of aesthetics and

magic...”

Yigal Zalmona,

Chief Curator-at-Large

The Israel Museum

Flag over Jerusalem

Ya’akov Boussidan is a painter, printer and calligrapher.

His Livres d’Artiste have been exhibited in many countries and may

be found in private collections and museums throughout the

world, among them the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the

Metropolitan in New York and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Boussidan has received several awards, among them the Jesselson

Prize for Judaica from the Israel Museum.

©Ya'akov Boussidan 2012.yboussidan@gmail com

"..With him, the ancient art of calligraphy – in his

case of Hebrew lettering – has acquired a new

aesthetic vigour"

Arturo Schwarz, Art Historian, from Ya’akov

Boussidan: Modernity of the Classic, 2011

. - .w w w b o u s s i d a n y c o m