Tapestries depict Jewish roots

By Toshio Suzuki

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Six large tapestries by Greg Cohen that address various orgins of Jewish culture comprise an exhibit called "Babylon Rising" that will open Sept. 7 at Albina Community Bank Gallery.
Each of Cohen's tapestries is about 6 feet by 5 feet and each represents notable times and places in Jewish history.
The countries Cohen chose are Morocco, India, Spain, Russia, Ethiopia and Israel, all in an attempt "to better educate the Jewish community, but more so the non-Jewish community, about the origins of Jewish culture," he said.
"I'm not a very religious person, per se, but I'm very culturally observant," said Cohen, whose family is of Russian and South American descent.
Cohen, a member of Congregation Shaarie Torah, said that while his career doesn't always allow him to concentrate on Judaic art, it has remained his "first love."

The "Israel" tapestry uses a hamza design to center around the tree of knowledge. Many representations are included in Cohen's graphic illustration, including those of Israel's desert landscape, blue rivers and even the way its citizens are perceived by others.
Cohen said he spent about a year completing these tapestries, from the initial research, to doing sketches and "color roughs," to doing complete miniature versions of the tapestries and ultimately the final work of art.
The Albina Community Bank gallery is located at 430 N.W. 10th Avenue.