Winter 2022-23
Paper Golem Collection
by Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik’s
From November 2022 through February 2023, The Goodman Family Judaic & Archival Museum was honored to feature comic book, papercut artist Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik’s collection: Paper Golems.
Inspired by the uncertainty of the pandemic, Brynjegard-Bialik connects popular culture with sacred texts and traditions to create golems that tell stories of power and protection. When the pandemic began and the world seemed to unravel in so many different ways, Brynjegard-Bialik wanted to regain a sense of control over his life, and so he started making golems. And yet, what we create to safeguard us from danger may not always be under our complete control. A golem is a source of security and also dread, of potential that can save us or doom us. The golem story is an opportunity to consider what it means to make one’s protection with one’s own hands, from whatever materials are around — be it mud or paper — and to consider what role we play in our own salvation or destruction.
Click here for a preview of the catalog.
