Cover Up

“Cover Up” is artwork responding to the October 7th attacks. The piece was made by Efrat Baler-Moses (Mixed media on canvas and wood panel, 13 x 23 x 4 inches, 2024). 

“Cover Up” is part of a series exploring the hidden narratives behind seemingly ordinary objects, revealing deeper, unsettling layers beneath their facades. Made in response to the October 7th Hamas terror attacks on Israel, this piece draws from impactful media images depicting the scattered aftermath of toys, household items, and other debris. Baler-Moses tries to convey the vulnerability of innocent lives affected by violence.

Brightly colored children’s alphabet wooden blocks take center stage. The piece comprises two panels: canvas and an attached wood panel featuring three-dimensional alphabet blocks scattered across landscapes hinting at underlying turmoil, with distant horizons marked by fires and smoke.

In “Cover Up,” the painted “Y” interacts with three-dimensional alphabet blocks spelling out “WAR.” A swath of canvas cloth either begins to conceal or reveal the 3D wooden blocks. Additionally, the use of a wood burning tool (pyrography pen) was used to create the “X” and some of the scenery on the wood panel.