'Megillat Yerushalyim': Israeli artist Rachel Kainy is turning Jerusalem into a living scroll

Jerusalem serves as the muse for artist Rachel Kainy, who is transforming the Holy City into a "living scroll" through her distinctive urban walking drawings. Kainy, an artist and art teacher known for her watercolors, has been living and working in Jerusalem for the past 11 years, deeply integrating the city's essence into her work.

Her latest project involves "urban walking drawings" created using a custom device, described as a portable drawing harness, developed by artist Itamar Mendes-Flohr. This innovative tool allows Kainy to draw with both hands concurrently while navigating the streets. The inspiration for this dual-handed technique stems from her studies of the book of Zohar. Kainy, who has always carried a sketchbook, views this drawing-while-walking project as a continuation of her personal space, with the symbolic "table" accompanying her on her journeys through Jerusalem.

Kainy meticulously documents the capital of Israel, capturing its diverse social and cultural facets and contrasts. Her "Road Sketch" scrolls are created on paper, forming a visual megillah, or scroll, of Jerusalem. She focuses particularly on her beloved neighborhood of Ein Kerem, translating her observations into a unique artistic narrative. The artist's work, previously recognized for its symbolic language and enigmatic landscapes in watercolor and ink, now expands to encompass this dynamic, on-the-move drawing practice, offering a fresh perspective on the city.