2019
Handspeak
Shay Vogel
Our human hands are intricate and meaningful in so many ways. From the way we use them to communicate and express ourselves to the way they allow us to create and manipulate our environment, our hands are a vital part of what makes us human.
Our hands are also essential tools for our daily lives. We use them to grasp, hold, and manipulate objects of all shapes and sizes. We use them to create, build, and craft, from drawing and writing to cooking and gardening. Our hands enable us to perform tasks that require dexterity, skill, and coordination, such as playing musical instruments, sports, and creating art.
But perhaps most importantly, our hands are a symbol of our humanity and our connection to others. We use our hands to touch, comfort, and express our love and affection for those around us. We use them to greet and welcome others, to offer a helping hand, and to connect with people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds.
Our hands are also a reflection of our individuality and our life experiences. The lines, wrinkles, and scars on our hands tell the story of our journey through life, the challenges we have faced, and the joys we have experienced. They are a testament to our resilience, adaptability, and creativity.
In 2019 I was lucky enough to host a gallery opening showcasing up to 100 different hand sculpted hands.
This was a unique and powerful way to explore the beauty and complexity of the human form. The hands, as a subject, offer endless possibilities for creativity and expression, and can be crafted in countless ways to convey different emotions, moods, and messages.
The show featured hands of all shapes, sizes, ages, and conditions, from young and smooth to old and wrinkled, and from healthy to damaged or injured.
Each hand tells a unique story, conveying a different emotion or experience through its composition, pose, or expression. Some sculptures were crafted in a realistic style, capturing every detail and nuance of the human hand, while others were stylized and abstracted, expressing a more symbolic or emotional aspect of the subject.
In addition to the sculptural work, the gallery show could also feature drawings, sketches, or studies of hands, allowing viewers to see the artist’s process and evolution in developing their ideas and compositions.
Overall, a gallery show featuring a series of hand-sculpted hands would be a powerful and thought-provoking way to explore the beauty, complexity, and fragility of the human form. It would offer viewers a chance to contemplate the meaning and significance of hands in our lives, and to connect with the artist’s vision and perspective on this timeless subject.
