A Branch of Heroes
Oded Yedaya
1995
The exhibition A Branch of Heroes explored themes of heroism and masculinity. It was shown at the Bograshov Gallery in Tel Aviv and at the Israel Museum, curated by Rita Katz. The body of work was born following the family’s return to Kibbutz Hanita in 1988. Presented in 1994, the exhibition was part of a wave of critical photography that addressed post-Zionist and conceptual themes.
Yedaya wrote about the work:
“My story with the kibbutz remained unresolved, and I also wanted the freedom to make art—three days of work, the rest for art. I returned to the banana fields. You work with machetes, carry 50–60 kg seedlings on your back, and set up cable systems.”
The integration of text and images in these works forms a complete synthesis. The text is not an illustration of the photograph, nor vice versa. Instead, the photograph serves as a backdrop to the text, and the text as a backdrop to the image.
For further reading, see the article linked under "Articles" below.
- Copies: 100
- Pages: 12
- Type of binding: Soft Cover
- Dimensions (cm): 29X21
- Printing: Offset A.B, Ltd
- Binding: Offset A.B, Ltd
- Type of printing: Offset
- Publication: Bograshov Gallery
- Place of publication: Tel Aviv-Jaffa
- Supported by: Ascola Design Gallery
- Book photography: Leafing Magasine
Oded Yedaya (born 1949) is a photographer and multidisciplinary artist, founder and director of the Minshar School of Art. Yedaya was born and raised in Kibbutz Hanita, served as an officer in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, and studied photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He began his artistic career in the 1980s, after returning from his studies, focusing at that time mainly on family photography. During this period, he published his first photography book and exhibition under the title Personal Document. His work is characterized by the integration of handwritten or printed texts layered onto his photographs. In his recent work, Yedaya explores the political role of photography.
