At the annual GradEx 110 at OCAD University, I had the opportunity to highlight some of my favourite pieces from my final year. The exhibition began with What Was Lost, and I was surprised and delighted to discover I had more wall space than expected. This unexpected flexibility allowed me to showcase additional works that celebrate and honour my Yemeni Jewish heritage—an important thread throughout my practice.
GradEx 110
What Was Lost
Karen Pe’er, 2025
Acrylic on panel, scarf
81” x 57”
What Was Lost is a visual elogy, tracing the journey of a Yemenite Jewish woman who leaves behind a land etched with tradition, devotion, and ancestral memory. In the shadow of the 1947 Aden pogroms, her community walks for days across scorched earth, carrying little but faith in a promised land. They board planes—strange birds of exile—and arrive in a land that promised hope, yet offers tents, illness, and the trauma of stolen children in return.
Among the many things left behind was the Lahfe—a traditional headscarf worn by Yemenite Jewish women to mark their identity in a society that demanded distinction. In Israel, the need for such markers faded, and with it, the scarf itself. What Was Lost reflects this shift: a quiet letting go of visible customs, the grief of cultural loss, and the emergence of new ways of belonging in a place both foreign and full of possibility.
Untitled
Karen Pe’er, 2025
Acrylic monoprint on foam board
From the installation, Don’t Let Them Take Your Daughter
This piece is part of a larger installation honouring the strength and resilience of Yemenite Jewish women, particularly during the disorienting early years of immigration to Israel. Karen imagines her grandmother in her younger days—strong, brave, and vibrant. The work is both personal and collective, a tribute to women who carried tradition and identity through upheaval with quiet courage.
Striped Gargush Karen Pe'er, 2024 Acrylic monoprint 9.5” x 12” unframed | 18” x 20” framed From the exhibition Forgotten Traditions
Mixed and Smiling Karen Pe'er, 2024 Acrylic monoprint 7.25” x 12” unframed | 16” x 20” framed From the exhibition Forgotten Traditions
My First Tashbuk Karen Pe'er, 2024 Acrylic monoprint 12.25” x 9.75” unframed | 18.25” x 21.75” framed From the exhibition Forgotten Traditions
The gargush was a traditional headdress worn daily by Jewish women and girls in Yemen, visually distinguishing them from their Muslim neighbours. While everyday versions were modest and unadorned, special gargushim were elaborately decorated for Shabbat, festive occasions, and weddings.
The tashbuk is a tall, cone-shaped headdress traditionally worn by Yemenite Jewish women on their wedding day, symbolizing modesty and marking the transition into married life.
To learn more about Karen Pe’er’s work and the cultural heritage behind Forgotten Traditions, click here.