In Israeli artist Matilda Katz‘s series The Goat Bearers, Katz digs deep into the rich mythology of her region, the ancient Near East. Her drawing, Witch And Young Goat Familiar, depicts a young woman, a goat cradled in her arms. She is dressed for ceremony — ribboned hat, tunic marked with symbols. The witch and her goat, stand-ins for the traditional figurines offered as a show of gratitude for the Mesopotamian god Enki. Mesopotamia, the area where once stood Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians, now live modern Iranians, Iraqis, Turks, and Israelis. This is the beginning of written history.
Katz draws in graphite but each piece is free of the crisp lines of pencil. Each canvas is pure feathered haze of shape, dream-like. The goat bearer as totem historically leans male-centric, but Katz brings in the ancient witch, the strong female presence that often goes unseen. Katz’s tender markings highlight the spiritual nature of her work, the lost magic of when the world was still at work creating itself.
Open Edition Prints of The Goat Bearers go on sale March 13th at Matilda Katz’s Shop
‘Witch And Young Goat Familiar’ by Matilda Katz
‘Spirit Flight’ by Matilda Katz
‘Witch And Goat Familiar’ by Matilda Katz
