In 1995 I was invited to speak at schools in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe on writing and illustrating books, which continued over the years. For the first time in my life, I visited old mosques in Cairo, Fez, Rabat, Addis Ababa, Instanbul, Spain, and shambled vistiges of old synagogues in the same places where congregations no longer exist. Out of those journeys, and after September 11, I began adding peace books to my list of 50 published boks. I started experimenting on canvas since I no longer could work in the excruciatingly detailed way I had been painting for years- with a triple-zero brush on parchment. It was a ‘coming home’ for me returning to abstract art. Combining my graphic arts career and my fine art. The creative challenge was not knowing where it would take me, which is what the peace books were about: That if you leave yourself open to the unknown, maybe you can find different paths- toward joy, happiness, and contentment in a very complex world. Seeing the larger world changed my life.
For more information visit janebreskinzalben.com
Featured in “Namaste” 2017