Israeli Nonbinary Artist Mika Rotem Ben Basht Explores Queer Identity and Social Challenges
Mika Rotem Ben Basht, a 24-year-old recent graduate from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, highlights the distinction between LGBTQ identities and queerness, describing queerness as inherently political and disruptive to societal norms. Her final project, a photography series titled "A Body Becoming," documents young individuals aged 17 to 20 across the trans and queer spectrum, capturing their exploration of gender identity and self-expression.
Ben Basht, who identifies as nonbinary and lesbian, explains that queerness involves daily self-questioning and resisting mainstream expectations, especially in conservative environments like Jerusalem. She shares personal experiences of hostility, including being verbally abused and spat on by a passerby, which she contextualizes within the current social climate in Israel. Despite these challenges, she finds strength and support within her community, which fuels her creative work.
Raised in a liberal household in Ramat Gan and Kfar Saba, Ben Basht moved to Jerusalem for her studies and plans to relocate to either Tel Aviv or Berlin, citing limitations in Israel's art scene. She began photography at age 12 and uses it as a medium to communicate and explore themes of gender and identity. Her project focuses on the transitional age between adolescence and adulthood, a critical period for identity formation.
The series features seven subjects, all close in age to Ben Basht, whom she met through various social connections. The work has received positive feedback for shedding light on underrepresented queer experiences in Israeli culture. Inspired by photographers Nan Goldin and Catherine Opie, Ben Basht aspires to continue her artistic career internationally, aiming to exhibit in museums and prestigious art programs.
"A Body Becoming" will be showcased in Bezalel's graduate exhibition from July 22 to August 6, 2022, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into queer youth navigating identity in contemporary Israel.
