From Northern Ireland’s “Silent Testimony” to “Jerusalem”

By Olivia O’Mahony, Editorial Assistant
October / November 2017

Belfast-born artist Colin Davidson’s new exhibition, Jerusalem, comprising 12 large-scale portraits of individuals who live and work in the storied, multi-faceted titular city, was unveiled at the 92nd Street Y in New York in September. Co-conceived by Oliver Sears, the exhibition was first displayed in London to great acclaim.

In Jerusalem, the theme of common humanity is the connecting thread which ties each piece to the others. Though the subjects include Jews, Muslims, Christians, Benedictine monks, politicians, doctors, peace activists, hotel workers and Holocaust survivors, all are uniform in their human dignity and the city that they call home. Over the course of the exhibition’s stay in New York (through Nov. 14), interactive guided tours will be available from 92Y art appreciation educator Melanie Adsit.

Prior to Jerusalem, Colin Davidson received mass attention in 2016 with his Silent Testimony exhibition, a similar portrait series of 18 people connected through personal experiences of loss and suffering during the Troubles (Irish America printed select paintings from the series in our April / May 2016 issue). The exhibition was displayed in the Ulster Museum and the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. ♦

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