For our fifth interview of the 2020 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to participant Adira Riben about creating with color, Jewish culture, the Holocaust, and uniting people of all faiths, nationalities and ethnicities. Thanks, Adira!
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We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found being in the exhibit?
Hi! I am from NJ (so not too far!). I came to Delaware in 2006-ish? to join AmeriCorps. It was a great experience. Yay, National Service! Anyway, in Delaware, I met many awesome people, including my (now) husband. Yay, Delaware!
The Fun-A-Day experience really helped me grow as an artist. That growth has led to opportunities to exhibit and sell my art. That is something that for many years, I only dreamed of doing.
This is going to be your FOURTH year participating! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project?
Every year I’ve done something really different. Different media, different subject matter...I don’t have a favorite of my own. When it comes to other artists, every year I am blown away by the creativity!
Many of your illustrative works play with subtle hints of color in skin tones that one might not immediately think of, such as greens, purples, and blues. How does bringing these colorful hues to the forefront emphasize your subject matter?
That’s cool that you noticed that! It’s something I’m still experimenting with so I’m not really sure yet.
I used to be the polar opposite when it came to using color in my work, and for me, it really did reflect the way I felt about life. In my art, I really struggled to use color. Almost all my work was gray - pencil or charcoal. Like a lot of people, I was really struggling with depression. It got so bad that for a while I stopped making art completely. Actually, I stopped doing a lot of things. Anyway, thank goodness, I was able to get help. It took lots of help and support and plain old time to get better. Eventually, I started to draw again. Just for myself at first. Color crept in slowly. I didn't feel confident using it, but I wanted to. I had started to see the world differently. It's not like I suddenly saw the good in everyone and everything. There's a lot of evil in this world. A lot of hate, and cruelty. But I accepted that even in this very imperfect there can still be beauty and hope.
Your 2019 Fun-A-Day “A Touch of Color”, seemed to morph over the course of the Maker’s Month. Your original project description was “drawing with sepia tone and adding a touch of color here or there”. Your final project ultimately came together as a collage of CD cases, on which was painted this beautiful central image of an unclothed woman of color who had her back to us and her arms in the air. She seems to be celebrating her body and embracing the earth. Tell us more about this project and some of the thoughts and feelings that went it this work. Who was your model?
So...I really struggled to focus that year. I knew I wanted to use CD cases again, because you can paint them and they are the 6” by 6” - the perfect size for Fun-A-Day! But, after I picked my theme, I realized I really love color, so my original concept went out the window. I was like, well what now? I kept trying different subjects. I thought maybe I’d do a bird a day, maybe a puppy a day, I almost did 28 grasshoppers.
Finally, I was so far behind I just decided to do some figure drawing to not think about it. I use an on-line resource called Croquis Cafe. It’s a really great source for reference photos for figure drawing. I started to paint Keira Lailani, and I loved how she owns every pose. Her confidence is contagious, and I loved it. So she was my inspiration. She was the central figure in the piece and everything really evolved around her. By the way, she’s actually a white lady and really pale with red hair, but like I said, I’m still experimenting with skin tones.
Please describe your 2020 project "We Are All Connected”. Will this be an exploration of cultural interconnectivity? Or possibly our connection as humans to nature and animals?
It’s all about people.
I was raised Jewish and from a young age we learn about the holocaust and hear the phrase, “never again.” It means that we need to be vigilant against injustice. For me, I always interpreted that to not only apply to my own people. Years ago there was a flood of Hatian immigrants taking boats to Florida. These refugees would be turned away at the coast after risking their lives. I was maybe 12 or 13 at the time and I asked my Rabbi, why we as Jews were not helping them. Doesn’t g-d and our history teach us that? He told the class that they are coming for economic opportunity not freedom. It struck a cord of anger in me.
That was over 20 years ago. Finally, there is now a movement among the Jewish people called Never Again. We are uniting as Jews to speak out against immigration policies that are cruel and inhumane. We are educating ourselves and others. We are using our voices to pray aloud in protest, and risking arrest in order to block detention centers. We have formed coalitions with other organizations including Doctors for Camp Closure, CASA of Maryland, Movimiento Cosecha and Bend the Arc.
So, my project is very personal in a sense, because after many years, I am rediscovering my Jewish identity. But obviously, it’s also about this movement uniting people of all faiths, nationalities and ethnicities.
The Jewish culture is so beautiful and unfortunately the last generation of Holocaust survivors (people who experienced the Holocaust first hand as children) are passing away. There has been a real push to capture their eye-witness accounts from that time before we are completely reliant upon history books for information. As an artist, particularly as a Jewish person, have you considered a project where you might shine a spotlight on this imminent reality?
Although I haven't considered that (I don't think of myself as skilled enough as a portrait artist). There is a very amazing artist named David Kassan who is doing just that. He does amazing portraits in oil paint and shares the portraits and stories of survivors. His website is https://www.davidkassan.com/
You seem to do a lot of portrait work. Do you use friends, family, co-workers? Sometimes artists seek out figure drawing or portrait classes. Have any classes or groups that you’re a part of?
I’m really shy to ask people to model for me, so I usually use reference photos that I’ve taken or from Croquis Cafe, though I have gone to portrait sessions at the Cecil County Arts Alliance. But for my Fun-A-Day this year, I really want to do portraits of people I know, my neighbors, co-workers, friends. So, hopefully, I’ll get lots of practice asking.
Having illustrated all manner of objects, animals, seasons, etc., and having used all sorts of color... you don’t appear to have a set “go to” subject or preferred color scheme. So I’m curious, if you had to live inside of one season for a year, what season would it be? Why? And if you could use only one color in your art for a year, what would it be? And why?
I love drawing chickens. But I also like vultures, frogs and toads. I like the colors and the poses. Also, it’s easier to fudge things than when I draw people. Like if I make the tail feathers too short, my model won’t be mad at me.
My favorite season, not surprisingly is fall. I love the changing colors of the leaves.
If I had to use only one color. Ugh! I would cheat and use lots of colors. Even if in the end I mixed all the colors so it looked like I only used brown (which happens to be my favorite color) I would cheat.
Do you see yourself more as a solo artist, working and creating in your own bubble? Or do you see yourself as a social artist, thriving off of human and animal interaction?
The making of art is very much a solo process for me, but my inspiration comes from my interactions with other people and the world in general.
Do you do any plein air painting or drawing? A lot of your work is so vibrant and alluring that I feel as though you must have been outside as you worked, and I’ve been transported there with you.
That’s so cool. I’ve done a little plein air drawing, but would love to do more. I often work from photos.
Where can people see more of your work?
I’m on Instagram @adirajennerart and I have a blog website where I list upcoming shows and events.
I also have shows coming up this summer, which I am very excited about. In May and June my work will be up at Dover Library and then in August I have a show at the Cecil County Arts Alliance followed by a show at the Gallery at the Elkton Library.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I’m super excited to see everyone’s work at the opening. I love this event. I'm sending a big "you can do it!" to all the artists, and a huge thank you to the volunteers and event organizers.