Dalia Meiri’s sculptures address the human body and its transformations over time; from the young, muscular, strong and attractive body to its ageing, wearing and disintegration.

Meiri accompanied her father on his journey through the final chapter of his life. In her works she traces the gradual transformation undergone by body and mind. She speaks of the role reversals of father / grandfather / son in the wake of loss of self-assurance and reliance on one’s children in the decision-making process. She tells of the strong influence on her of the painting Spanish Charity by Matthias Meyvogel, a depiction of the story of a prisoner sentenced to death by starvation, and his daughter, who visits him and breast-feeds him to keep him alive. Because of her daring and original devotion the warders take pity on the father and release him. This tale has provided inspiration for many works by important artists throughout history.

Eric Ericsson[1] considered old age to be a further developmental stage in human life. It offers the ability to view the continuity of life from beginning to end, obtaining a full and positive perspective of the totality of the life cycle. This may lead to an acceptance of oneself and to gratifying appreciation of ones successes and achievements. This perspective likewise encompasses the capacity to regard those who follow us as a new link in the chain, in whose creation the old person played an active role. Ericsson takes an optimistic approach, according to which one can choose how to experience the final stage of life. Despite the failings of the body, coming to terms with one’s impediments enables a person to see the positives and enjoy the small things in life.

Meiri has exchanged large hard stone for soft clay, producing modest sculptures of small dimensions, befitting the topic. She associates the crumbly, vulnerable and fragile clay with the fragility of the crumbling skeleton threatening to collapse. Her sculptures were fired by the rako method, whereby the frontal exterior layer is coated with a white cracked glaze and the back of the sculpture is blackened by soot. The sculpture’s exterior looks attractive and complete, while the blackened interior is devoid of content, on the verge of disintegration. This engagement with the material and its shell is likewise manifested in the installation titled Order of the Clay Knights, created in the first person plural. Meiri reproduced parts of her body and that of her husband, placing them like anonymous soldiers standing on parade.  

Planted in place on iron rods, they stand naked, exposing the ravages of their body. The clay flakes that cover them remind us that humanity’s true encounter is with the unknown period of time allocated to it: “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

The installation was inspired by the terracotta warriors she saw on a visit to China some years ago, in the mausoleum of the emperor in the city of Xi'an. The thousands of life size clay soldiers were created over two thousand years ago to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang on his journey to the afterworld. Upon the emperor’s death rebels broke into the mausoleum, shattering the figures.

The final chapter of human life is mentioned in Jewish sources. Hazal maintain that old age imbues one with wisdom. These years were referred to as the Shabat years: “When a person becomes sixty and enters the seventh decade of their life they become old and their years are all shabat.” Apprehension of the hardships of old age is also found in Judaism in the Avinu Malkeinu prayer, which contains the request “cast me not off in the time of old age, forsake me not when my strength faileth.”

 This exhibition encourages us to look into the soul, induces thoughts and musings on the essence of life and existence. Dalia Meiri’s works boldly and sincerely look us straight in the eye.

 

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