Blue Like Me

Shimmering and resplendent as Persian miniatures, riotous and contemporary as pop art and Bollywood, the art of Siona Benjamin synthesizes world religions with eastern myths and western popular culture. Blue skinned figures raise questions of identity and the role of art in social change. After immigrating to the US, a Fulbright sponsored Benjamin’s return to Mumbai, her birthplace, to film stories of the long established, but dwindling Bene Israel Jewish community in which she was raised. These stories, images of Benjamin’s other work and interviews with scholars paint an unforgettable portrait of a daughter of Israel, born in India with a provocative and wholly original artistic vision.

Artist Siona Benjamin, recently returned from a Fulbright sponsored trip to Israel, in attendance.