Shmita Shmata
Ava Rosen
About Ava Rosen
Ava Rosen is a multidisciplinary artist, poet, musician and educator living in Oakland on unceded Lisjan Ohlone land. Her work is firmly grounded in the belief that art can support healing and inspire stewardship of our more-than-human community. She is Co-Founder of Open Windows Cooperative, Judaic Arts Coordinator for Congregation Emanuel’s Youth and Family Education program, Nature Guide at Martin Griffin Preserve and 2021 LABA East Bay Fellow. Ava sings and plays bass with Galore, whose debut album was released on the Rocks in Your Head label in 2020. She is currently creating an ecological tarot deck comprised of 78 original block prints.
About Shmita Shmata
Shmita Shmata
2021
Ava Sayaka Rosen
125”w x 48”h
Fabric scraps, rubber-based ink, thread
A patchwork piece made from inky shmatas gleaned from the bin in Rosen’s shared print studio, Open Windows Cooperative. Shmatas are rags: fabric that has lived a life and outgrown its original purpose: a floral bedsheet from childhood, an old Hendrix tee, a parent’s old polo shirt. Reminiscent of agricultural landscapes viewed from a bird’s eye, the inky patches tell a story of years of creative work and productivity. Quilting transforms shmatas into an heirloom object that keeps someone warm as they rest, often gifted or handed down. Through recycling, storytelling and warmth, the quilt creates a legacy of care for the seventh generation, just as the shmita year regenerates the land to sustain us with abundant harvests.
