Staying Connected to Our Ancestors
BARD’s new art series “The Strength of Survivors” is a blend of her most cherished fictional show, “Avatar: The Last Airbender”, with the story of her real-life people.
This piece depicts Katara, one of the main protagonists of the series. As a member of the Water Tribe, Katara is an indigenous girl who resists the imperialism of the Fire Nation — just as the indigenous people of Israel have successfully overcome the centuries of imperialism from the Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Arab caliphates, Ottomans, and the British. In the show, Katara’s necklace was passed down to her by her mother, who was murdered by the Fire Nation: for her, it is a symbol of culture, family, and the struggle to keep those two things alive from one generation to the next. For Jews, the Magen David necklace is the same.
BARD has always deeply connected with “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and its sequel show “The Legend of Korra”. She appreciates their rich and difficult themes, such as the trials of war; the difficult road to peace; colonization; culture; peoplehood; sovereignty; and more. The theme of indigeneity is subtly tied into the show as well, with references to real peoples such as Inuit and Yu’pik, used to inform the Water Tribe look and story. The story of the Air Nomads, like that of Israel, is a tale of an indigenous people re-establishing their nation in the aftermath of genocide. Reflecting on the series after Oct 7, many of these themes deeply resonated and took on new meaning, inspiring BARD to explore the world of Avatar through an Am Yisrael lens.
What's Your Reaction?
I found this piece very profound because of the specific location of the necklace. It appears to cover the windpipe which is key to the respiratory system. As someone who has been assaulted in such a way as to find breathing difficult, this piece brings back memories of the sense of relief when the air is released back into the lungs. Positing the notion of Israeli statehood in relation to ventilation and respiration is significant to my understanding of what we need to do to ensure long life and good health. Protecting ourselves as a people can start with a simple stance of self-protection, regardless of the context. These are the ideas reflecting in this watery piece, for me.