Hi,
My name is Enya Keshet. I was born in Pardes Hanna, Israel.
As a young woman I moved to Jerusalem, where I studied at the Hebrew University and at Bezalel Academy of Art, and fell in love.
After the birth of my third child I discovered papercutting and it became my art. Later, I became increasingly interested in Judaic art.
These two paths joined together to make me who I am today.
My acquaintance with a traditional scribe (sofer) led me to the idea of combining the art of paper cutting with the calligraphy of Megillot (scrolls) of the book of Esther and the Song of Songs.
A significant part of my work is in the style of the Lisbon manuscript workshop, which flourished at the end of the 15th century.
This workshop produced the famous Lisbon Bible and many other illuminated manuscripts currently in the collections of major museums in London, Paris and New York.
The art of this workshop was the culmination of the ornamental style that had been developing in Spain and Portugal in the 14th and 15th centuries, and then, with the expulsion of the Jews from these lands, was abruptly stopped.
I took on to preserve and continue their style, adding my own art into it.
In keeping with this tradition, decorative writing, in large and in small letters, is used along with delicate, fantastic floral decoration.
Together, they cover areas and form borders, in typical, intricate combinations.
