Orthodox judaic tradition holds that the Messiah will arrive riding a white donkey. Yaakov Israel was working near the Dead Sea when, unexpectedly, a Palestinian man on a white donkey passed him by. He took a picture of the man and when he developed the image he realized that he had found his “Messiah.” The meeting prompted him to start this project, which merited him the Descubrimientos PHE Award in 2012.
The North American tradition of great photographic journeys served Yaakov as reference during the early stages of his quest, even though the size of his country turned such journey into an abridged experience. As he passed by the same places time and again, the essence of his photographic project became clear to him. He had to give up the idea of documenting a physical journey in order to focus on the intimate and emotional reactions those places provoked in him. His quest is an attempt to communicate a personal vision of Israeli reality from a wider sense of belonging to the global human community.
Yaakov Israel (Jerusalem, 1974) graduated with honors in Fine Arts from the photography department of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in 2002. His work has featured in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries both in Israel and abroad. Since 2004, he teaches photography in art and photography schools. His project, The Quest for the Man in the White Donkey, was published by Schilt Publishing.
The Quest for the Man on the White Donkey
PHotoEspaña 2013
June 20 – July 27, 2013
Centro de Arte Alcobendas
Madrid
Spain
