Due to COVID-19 protocols, the physical exhibition is currently closed, but there is a virtual exhibition here.

This exhibit examines experiences of World War II, the Holocaust, and their aftermath through depictions by Lithuanian artist David Labkovski (b. Belarus, 1906-1991). Labkovski was a narrative artist who documented his life in a series of autobiographical drawings and paintings in subsequent years following WWII.

Working from memory, Labkovski’s work offers a genuine glimpse of the thriving Jewish community from his childhood in Vilnius (or Vilna), Lithuania, his endurance surviving a forced-labor camp in the Soviet Union, the results of looting and destruction in Vilnius, and his search for peace and renewal. What unfolds is a visual diary in oil, gouache, charcoal, and pen drawings, and a story of desolation and of resilience.

Works were generously loaned from private collections. Curated by Leora Raikin and Stephanie Wolfson of the David Labkovski Project.

Image credit: David Labkovski, Strashun Library to the Synagogue. 1964. Oil on canvas, 31.75 x 38.625 inches, framed. Courtesy of the Barishman.

See the virtual exhibition by using this link: https://www.artsteps.com/view/5e6ff112d650252abbcf45e4. Please click the right arrow button at the bottom of the screen to view exhibition in order.

Events held in conjunction with this exhibit include:

Why the Chaplain Cursed: Encountering the Holocaust
Postponed until further notice

Labkovski: The man, the artist, and his story
Virtual lecture, March 24 at 4:30 p.m.