DAVID
WANDER
JOURNEYS
THROUGH
NARRATIVE
AND TEXT

Through vivid oil canvases and intricate hand-made books that unspool to lengths as great as 50 feet, David Wander has illuminated Jewish texts and stories in a body of work that is both visually gripping and rigorously intelligent. In works ranging from the Haggadah to depictions of the complete story of Jonah, Wander adds an immediacy to Jewish narrative, making ancient stories and traditions both new and familiar.

For almost a decade, Wander has met for a biweekly chavruta study session with David Kraemer, Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Their back-and-forth discussions of midrash have motivated and inspired Wander’s artistic gleanings, adding layers of meaning and interpretation to his art. Wander has also guided future generations in self-expression through his role as an art teacher, co-instructing with Art Department Chair David Friedman, at the Modern Orthodox SAR High School in Riverdale, New York. In his class “Drawing From the Text,” which Wander leads with a Jewish Studies instructor, students create art and writing inspired by works ranging from Song of Songs to Lamentations; the final results are compiled in a bound volume.

In both creation and instruction, David Wander is adding fascinating and thought-provoking contributions to the tapestry of Jewish culture and tradition. ■

Above: Samson Three Books, detail; Below, top to bottom; We Were Grasshopers In Their Eyes — The Spies, detail; The Rabbi And The Ugly Man, detail; Come My Beloved; Five Books Of David, detail; Haman In The Street, detail.