Moshe Shamah, fresh from his U.S. art tour, brings the perspective of an Israeli artist who bridges worlds—diaspora and homeland, religious and secular, analog and digital. We sat together in front of my mural HaMelech Basadeh and explored how his art became a response to the upheaval after October 7th, and how collage, for him, is not just cutting and pasting but transforming chaos into new meaning. Moshe shared how his Judaica, and mixed-media work speak across communities, and why he insists on staying rooted in human imperfection in an age of AI.
Our conversation went deeper into the role of Jewish creativity today—how artists must give voice where words fall short, how culture becomes a form of resilience, and why this moment demands a new Jewish renaissance. We spoke openly about the struggles of measuring worth in likes and algorithms, the necessity of creating for its own sake, and the responsibility to share our light as “October 8th Jews.” Moshe’s message to young creatives was simple yet urgent: don’t wait, just make.
About Moshe:
Moshe Shamah is a Jerusalem-based artist, Jewish educator and founder of Studio Shamah. His work aims to capture the convergence of old and new, of antiquity and futurism, as it relates to Jewish tradition, peoplehood and history. Bridging the gap between mixed-media collage and calligraphy, and more broadly, the art of words, Shamah aims to stimulate dialogue across the breadth of cultures and thought traditions - and play a small role in the emerging New Jewish Renaissance. Shamah holds a degree in Jewish Studies and Art History from Rutgers University, which he gained while sharing an art studio on the campus of arts at the same time. His solo exhibitions have been featured both in Israel, Serbia and the United States, with upcoming exhibits planned in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Johannesburg, Warsaw, Kyiv, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Website: https://studioshamah.com/
Instagram (Judaica): @judaica_of_shamah https://www.instagram.com/judaica_of_shamah
Instagram (Mixed-Media): @art_of_shamah https://www.instagram.com/art_of_shamah
Email: shamah@studioshamah.com
Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple Exhibition & Lecture on Antisemitism & Anti-Zionism in the Art World
https://www.aemt.net/events/the-art-of-p-moshe-shamah/
UJA-Federation Kickoff Exhibit "For Those Who Fight For Life" https://www.ujafedny.org/event/view/fsu-kickoff-where-art-meets-identity?utm_campaign=MarketingCloud&utm_medium=ET_email&utm_source=26_FSU_E_1961900_s1_250807_IP2&utm_content=cta
Artists Moshe thinks you should know:
Lenore Mizrachi-Cohen - Conceptual Artist https://www.lenorecohen.com/
Israeli Musicians such as
A-WA https://www.a-wamusic.com/
Tuna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuna_(rapper)
Riff Cohen https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV7t6K2C5pPi6nK4bZ2T19A
Yonah Ben Abraham Israeli-American poet and creative collaborator, who co-created the book Ohelibah with moshe. https://www.instagram.com/yonahbenavraham/
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Connect with Yitzchok Moully
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