L.A. Artist Merges Comics, Superheroes, Modern Judaism, and Women

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik's"Tree of Mothers and Daughters
Detail from Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik’s”Tree of Mothers and Daughters,” 2015. The artwork is on view at exhibition “Women of Valor.”

Last month, Shana Nys Dambrot wrote a piece for the Artbound section of KCET’s website, spotlighting the work of Southern California artist Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik. Dambrot explores his latest work, a show for the National Council of Jewish Women,  and its incorporation of the superheroic with Jewish moral responsibility via papercut techniques:

The thing about superheroes is that they are a way for us regular folks to imagine being better — to imagine being strong enough to help others and fix the world, as well as being dedicated enough to understand how important it is to use our powers for good.

Currently a teaching fellow at American Jewish University’s Dream Lab, Brynjegard-Bialik feels, “Comic superheroes exist outside of the ‘natural’ world. Be they visitors from other planets, or people whose powers stem from strange scientific accidents; they have weaknesses and flaws, and their struggles are often a metaphor for the human experience.”

His “Women of Valor” show concluded November 30th but its catalog can still be viewed online through his site.