tamar.bahar@gmail.com
Mentor:  Eliora Ginsburg-Lemer

When I was young, my nickname was Jabalia.
Originally, this was the name of a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, where my father served as a soldier on reserve duty.
I won this nickname without any political context, but purely because I used to dress “differently.”
I used to decorate my body with out of context accessories that were not related to each other whatsoever - beach hats, bandaids, bandages, lace, and other such items that I collected and found beauty and interest in.

In my “Jabalia Collection” I tried to revive my primary “Jabalian Entity” experience – that of a wild, wandering, curious, and independent girl, one who doesn’t care much about the common “do-don’t” rules, as expressed in the fashion culture.

Throughout the year, I wandered around and collected material residues in which I found beauty and interest – things in my possession, and things I saw around me. I applied integrated technique of grinding layers, sewing, and folding. I tried to connect all the materials together, to peel the surface and explore the unexpected beauty, revealed, if we only look around us - free of contexts, conditioning, and rigid fashion rules.

The “Jabalia Collection” consists of:
2  Kitbags, “Bandage Boots,” 2 Beach Hats, Rose Flip-Flops, Bags Bracelets, Stone Pockets, and Gladiator Sandals.