Brothers of Light | |
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Movement | Street art; visual art |
Website | www |
Brothers of Light is a contemporary street artist duo from Jerusalem, known for their international large-scale vivid art works using unique sets of old and modern symbols.[1][2][3][4][5]
Brothers of Light began their joint journey in 2014.[6] Consisting of real-life siblings, Elna (born 1988) and Gab (born 1991), the duo grew up in the skateboarding scene in Jerusalem, which served as their first inspiration.[7][8] The brothers first began painting on stickers and other small objects before moving onto small walls. Shortly after, they were drawn to larger surfaces.[9]
The duo studied at the Department of Visual Communication at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem (in proximate years); over time they developed a shared visual language that stems from their mutual life experiences and childhood memories.[10][11]
According to the brothers, their name "Brothers of Light" was inspired by the title of their first solo exhibition, and their mother's desire for them to join forces and do something good. After her death, they began working together and decided to use this name for their first exhibition in 2015 as a tribute to her. The "Light" in the name was a reference to their mother, and the desire to spread positivity and do good in the world.[3][12]
Brothers of Light have showcased their work both indoors and outdoors, using a variety of mediums such as murals, silkscreen prints, sculptures and paintings on canvases, ceramics and reused woods and metals. They are primarily influenced by the urban culture of the world's diverse streets, their connection to the skateboarding and hip-hop scenes,[13] as well as worldly ancient cultures and symbols.[14]
They have participated in international urban art festivals and residency programs in countries including Israel, France, Germany,[15] Portugal,[16] and the United States.[17] In 2017, they teamed up with Israeli street artists[18] to form a collective called "Prettymess" and presented a group exhibition at Beit Ha'ir, Tel Aviv. In 2019, before leaving their hometown Jerusalem, they revealed their second solo exhibition, “Last Tripp in Jerusalem”. In 2022 they debuted their solo exhibition, “From Dirt”, in Jaffa, presenting a three-year project of painting over dozens of metals they salvaged from a garbage site near their studio.[19][20]