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• Gabriella Boros

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Woman of Valor Series by Gabriella Boros

​About the artist
Gabriella Boros has shown her prints, paintings and multimedia works nationally and internationally. Currently focusing on woodblock prints, Gabriella also paints in acrylic on wood panel, makes art books, drawings, sculptures and found-object cheeseboxes.  Born in Israel, Gabriella immigrated to the United States as a child. Her narratives reflect her European parentage, Israeli childhood and American influences. She has a BFA from the University of Michigan School of Art. She currently lives and works in Skokie, Illinois.

About the series
This series of paintings, based on the Solomonic poem Woman of Valor (Eshet Chayil), was completed from 2008-2009. This poem is sung in traditional Jewish homes by husbands to their wives on Friday night. The beauty of each woman comes through in her actions. These are not conventional models posing for their moment but active hard-working women who are exuding their beauty though their actions. They are of all ages since beauty is not reserved for the young alone. They are all portraits of women I know and respect. Each piece is 9” x 24”, acrylic on wood panel.

Woman of Valor (Eshet Chayil), Who Shall Find?: This is a portrait of my mother whose open features startle you amongst the impersonal New Yorkers. She is lit by an inner glow differentiating her from the masses of commuters.

2. She Will Do Him Good Not Evil: This young wife is suspiciously eyed by her older husband. Her beauty is not seen by him for his jealousy and negativity saps her of these asthetics.

3. She Envisions A Field and Buys It, From Her Palms She Plants a Vineyard: She works in her sexy red dress in an Israeli field, the sun burning her fair skin. She tries to stay feminine while working on arduous physical tasks and is too distracted by work to notice how she appears.

4. With Bravery She Belts Her Hips and Strains Her Arms: Using her own body as a pack mule this woman is protecting her child and fleeing whatever enemy has come to end her freedom.

5. She Extends Her Palms Out to the Poor: Working hard to help those in need and putting aside her own comfort is the strength of this woman. Her beauty is casually displayed in work clothes and without makeup. The beauty of this woman is in her work.

6. She Fears Not Snow, for Her Family is Clothed in Scarlet Wool: She endlessly knits her woolen scarf covering her family with her warmth and nurturing. The scarf also symbolizes the umbilical ties to her children. Her young features are hidden as she bends to finish her work.

7. Strength and Bravery are Her Clothing, She Laughs At Her Demise: Set in Israel, this is a portrait of my great-aunt who made Aliyah in the 30’s. She drained the swamps and fought the British with the Irgun. She never looked back, smoked her entire life and went out as she came in, without much fuss. Almost masculine in her demeanor, she is a true warrior!

8. Give Her the Fruits of Her Hands and Let Her Be Praised in the Gates: Beautiful Rose who stood tall even as her body was slowly weakened by disease. Her long life was mapped by the creases on her face and body. She cradles the fruits of her life in her arms; her children and grandchildren; her loves and her achievements as a woman.