Two weeks left! Deadline Shushan Purim, March 25th, 11:59 pm EST
For Chassidus ideas about Pesach to incorporate into your art submission, please check out Chassidus in Color Art Contest-Resource Page .
FEATURED SUBMISSION:
My name is Shua Raskin, I’m 17 years old, and I’m from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY.
I’ve been painting for 4 years, and I’ve rarely missed a day. I’m currently at part-time Yeshivah in Chovevei Torah at Tomchei Zal, and my art is my main priority. It gives me life and meaning and quite literally, I cannot live without it.
I’ve had a rather complicated hectic life and art gives me meaning and understanding of the world and the emotions I experience with it. Taking away my art is taking away my oxygen supply, “literally”.
A good point to know first is that I don’t paint pictures, only stories. The deep point and story in this painting is how Pesach comes not from a pristine environment but from the mundane, overwhelming, and chaotic environment of a Matzoh bakery. This watercolor painting is intentionally overworked to convey the message of a messy matzoh bakery. It is especially from that environment of tension, pressure, and chaos that the beautiful mitzvah of matzoh emerges. Often in our spiritual lives, we seek out holiness in the calm, pristine, perfect heavenly places, but in reality, the highest kedusha can often be found in places of chaos and confusion. And we see here in this work, how the focal point of the painting is the intense warmth of the fire, and everything else in the painting, including the baker himself almost fade away almost to the point of not being relevant. This emphasizes the chassisic message of matzoh as a symbol of bitul Hayesh. The baker and the whole environment become botul in front of the fire of the matzoh, which signifies humility.
(Likkutei Sichos Volume 1 Parshas Bo)
Your soul is as vibrant as the fire in that painting. Keep it up.
This is incredible. I feel the painting. Love the submission.
Seriously talented. You should post contact info for people who want to commission paintings.
Love it, the message and the painting! Exceptional talent.
The painting you made is a masterful piece of art! Kol hakovod! This isn’t personally addressed to you, but rather to others who may read this article. I would like to mention that to those who view life as “chaotic,” there are many Mashpiem whom you can turn to for advice. I would personally say to keep far away from therapists (another ope-ed) mainly because they make you acknowledge your issue and work with it, the opposite of the lesson of bitul and on a personal note, it always leaves us worse and more depressed after a meeting (sorry manis!).… Read more »
Then what if your mashpia tells you see a therapist? 🤔
If you had a negative experience with a therapist it doesn’t mean all therapists are bad, and if you’ve never been to a therapist, with all due respect, I don’t think you should be telling ppl what to do in this regard
“I would personally say to keep far away from therapists (another ope-ed) mainly because they make you acknowledge your issue and work with it, the opposite of the lesson of bitul” Quite frankly, I simply don’t understand how a Chabad Chossid who learns Tanya can possibly say something to this effect. What you are advocating for is not bitul, but spiritual bypassing, and it is precisely why so many people get caught in the trap of not dealing with their emotions because they think that there’s something “yeshusdik” about doing so. Such an approach makes it harder, not easier, to… Read more »
He’s got the goods!!!
Wow, really blown away by the raw emotion and intensity of this piece. Talented!
This young bochur’s art shows remarkable talent and conveys amazing sensitivity. Hatzlochoh rabba to him in his painting and in all of life; As he so beautifully expressed it, for him they are one and the same.
Really appreciate the Sicha portrayed through the Beautiful painting
Wow amazing work!!
To see such talent from one of our own Bochrim. No words
Love seeing your paintings and I’m amazed by the explanation that you brought about this particular painting.
Wish you a lot of success.
Zalmen – Vienna
May all these artists have tremendous hatzlocha. This event really inspires new avenues in expressing our deepest thoughts and connections to the ideas of chassidus.
I love that this contest is taking place!!
Beautiful artwork and writing!