-
A glimpse into
a Grandmother's
Soul
Ilana
Slomowitz’s
recently published
first book of
poetry and drawings
“Touching
the Earth”,
deeply touches
the hearts of
women –
young and old,
daughters, mothers
and grandmothers.
This
anthology of poems
expresses her
love of nature
from which she
draws her inspiration,
the exceptional
relationship with
her own grandmother,
her love for her
children and grandchildren,
her country, and
her reflections
on ageing.
The
anguish of being
torn apart by
different loves,
different countries,
is deeply palpable
in her poetry.
Like
so many South
Africans who emigrated
seeking a new
life elsewhere,
Ilana moved to
Israel in 1988.
Increasingly over
the years, however,
her longing for
Africa grew and
she became despondent
with life in Israel
due to the ‘intifada”,
scud missiles,
the Lebanon war
and the continuous
suicide bombings.
Her
poem “I
am Torn”
illustrates
her wavering
loyalties.”
The poem “I
am Coming Home!”
joyfully reflects
her resolve.
Ilana
returned to South
Africa
in 2005, but not
without suffering
the pain of leaving
loved ones and
friends behind.
Many grandmothers
can identify with
this pain, having
lost children
and grandchildren
to the South African
diaspora.
Her
motivation in
writing “Touching
the Earth"
was so as to leave
a tangible keepsake
for her grand
daughters in which
she reveals a
deep and honest
insight into her
soul.
A truly precious
gift.
However,
beneath the happiness
and burst of creativity,
lurks a sense
of misgiving.
The sadness of
leaving her family
in Israel, the
reality of ageing
and loneliness
is subliminally
present in her
poetry.
Ilana
will be presenting
a dramatised performance
of selected poems
together with
a visual slideshow
of some of her
artwork featured
in the book.
When:
Thursday, 26th
February 2009
at 10 a.m.
Where: Alliance
Francaise Gallery
17
Lower Park Drive,
Parkview. (across
the road from
Zoo Lake).
Her book will
be on sale at
the gallery throughout
the duration of
her exhibition
which runs from
the 24th February
to the the 10th
of March.
20%
of the sales from
the book she is
donating to ORT,
an organization
close to her heart.
For
more information
about her book
“Touching
the Earth”
ilana can be contacted
at 072
575 8013
write to her at
ilanaslom@telkomsa.net
her website
www.ilana-slomowitz.com
Aside
from this new
direction of poetry,
she has also thrown
herself back into
her art, creating
relief wall panels
from found objects
collected on her
walks along the
beaches.
In
February 2009
she will hold
a major exhibition
of her work after
an absence of
20 years from
Johannesburg,
at the Alliance
Francaise Gallery.
|
