Amichai Lankri, Kolenu Shabbat Candles (Art & Accessories)

This piece is a reimagining of Shabbat (Sabbath) candles and a gift to my local congregation here in Melbourne. Kolenu, the name of the congregation and the work means ‘our voices’; as a congregation we place song at the centre of our services and ritual. This work is created with Lebanese cedar and Huon pine. The choice of these timbers is particularly significant; the ancient Hebrews’ Temple was built using cedrus libani. The Temple of Solomon is described as ‘House of the forests of Lebanon’ ( 1 kings 7:2-5) The use of the cedar honours the ancient lineage of Jewish ritual, the plant’s distinct scent branching like a time-defiant tendril through the ages. Coupled with the cedar is the iconic Australian native Huon pine, an acknowledgement of the land that carries this community today. Whilst these two trees are native to places on opposite sides of the planet, they still share a common ancestor, both being from the order of Pinales. Once the basic form of the work was laminated, the shape was roughed out with a power-carving disc and then the final shape honed with rasps, carving knives and finished with sandpaper. Whilst it is not traditional, I decided to create these Shabbat candles in the form of a vessel intended to carry water. One of the reasons for this is hidden in the name of the congregation, Kolenu. This name’s origin is a song sung on the Friday evening service to welcome the shabbat, with the lyrics ’above the sound of many waters, our voices will rise up!’ So like the voices rising from the waters to welcome the Shabbat, so do the candles. This piece was created in between the May and September 2020.

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