Amar’e Stoudemire Portrait Joins Graffiti Gallery In Jerusalem Market
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Sam Kestenbaum April 21, 2017
A wall-sized illustration of NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire is the latest addition to an ongoing art project where portraits of contemporary and historical figures are painted on the metal shutters of Jerusalem’s central market.
“The Shuk has legends painted all over. I’m humble to be amongst the greats here,” Stoudemire wrote on Instagram, captioning an image of himself standing in front of his portrait with the artist behind the project, Solomon Souza. “Blessed.”
Souza, a prolific graffiti artist based in Israel has painted dozens of portraitsin the Mahane Yehuda Market over the last year. The makeshift gallery has turned into an after-hours attraction of sorts. Other portraits include Moses, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Albert Einstein.
Stoudemire moved to Israel last year to play for Hapoel Jerusalem, the professional Israeli basketball club which he partially owns. His relocation to Israel was not only a professional move—Stoudemire also identifies as a Hebrew Israelite and views the land of Israel as part of his spiritual and ancestral heritage.
Email Sam Kestenbaum at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
