Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom Photograph Lois and Carey for Proof of Existence Series
For their project Proof of Existence, photographers Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom captured an image of Lois alongside her mother, Carey. They discovered Lois through her Instagram and later visited her home to meet Carey. This series reimagines models as surreal or exaggerated versions of themselves, photographing them in ordinary environments. The photograph of Lois and Carey was intended to illustrate their unique expression of Jewish identity. Both women are artists, and their home is adorned with art. Bar and Avshalom observed that the interests of Lois and Carey seem to manifest in their surroundings through various artworks and symbols. They noted that their portrayal of Judaism was unlike anything they had previously encountered. This photograph appears in The Guardian’s “best photograph” series.
Key facts
- Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom photographed Lois and her mother Carey for their project Proof of Existence.
- The project Proof of Existence involves transforming models into surreal or exaggerated characters based on aspects of themselves and photographing them in everyday settings.
- Bar and Avshalom found Lois after seeing her work on Instagram.
- The initial photo of Lois and Carey was intended to show how they express their Jewish identity in a non-traditional way.
- Lois and Carey are both artists.
- Their house is full of art, with interests spilling onto the walls as artwork, motifs, and symbols.
- The photographers had not previously encountered the way Lois and Carey express their Judaism.
- The photograph was published in The Guardian’s best photograph series.
Entities
Artists
- Rona Bar
- Ofek Avshalom
- Lois
- Carey
Institutions
- The Guardian