Israeli Artist Anat Helfetz Finds New Power in Singular Creations

Israeli fashion designer and artist Anat Helfetz experienced a deeply emotional encounter in Venice with a young Iranian woman at the Chiesa dell’Abbazia della Misericordia, a venue recently transformed into an art and design center by Etnia Barcelona.

Helfetz was in Venice for a two-week residency, part of an exhibition by Etnia Barcelona alongside 23 other international artists, coinciding with the city's art Biennale. Her participation stemmed from her previous exhibition of bamboo sculptures during the 2024 Biennale, which caught the eyewear brand's attention. For this project, artists were invited to create new works from Etnia Barcelona eyewear. Helfetz's contribution, titled 'I Pray for Peace,' is a pair of broken black glasses incorporating bamboo, red thread, basalt stones, and shattered glass, symbolizing resilience, shattered lives, and unity.

"Bamboo is the basic inspiration for my work," Helfetz stated, explaining its strength and resistance to burning. She incorporated burnt bamboo, stones, and metal into her glasses to convey strength and the capacity for rebuilding after trauma, referencing conflicts worldwide. She also designed another pair, 'And still we grow,' expressing optimism amidst global turmoil and emphasizing proactive efforts for improvement, such as her volunteer work at Sheba Medical Center.

Helfetz's solo exhibition, initially planned for October, was postponed by Etnia Barcelona due to concerns about potential protests and unrest. While understanding the decision, Helfetz expressed sadness but not anger, stating, "I'm not angry, but I am sad. I understand them, I'm not sure I would have acted differently in their place. And yet, I am here."

Now 70, Helfetz, a former fashion instructor at Shenkar, has shifted from mass production for international brands like Primark and Tommy Hilfiger to her independent brand, Kawayan, which focuses on small-batch, black-centric designs. She previously produced hundreds of thousands of units but now creates a maximum of 15 pieces per design. This move reflects a departure from consumer culture, finding "a lot of power in one thing that is whole and very strong" today, a contrast to her past feeling of power in selling "fifty thousand pairs of jeans."