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What is Kosmic Kabbalah Art?

The word 'cosmos' refers to the physical universe seen as an orderly harmonious Whole.  The original Greek word 'Kosmos' however, refers to the Whole of all existence - in all realms - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. The Hebrew word Kabbalah refers to the ancient mystical teachings that describe the Kosmos as an orderly harmonious Whole.

The teachings and much of the artwork presented on this site deal with Kosmic themes that are based on the Kabbalah:  Infinity, Eternity, Kosmogeny, Holy Names, Mandalas,  Sacred Geometry, Fractals, and Sefirotic Maps of the Kosmos (Tree of Life Diagrams).

 

All of the Giclee prints on canvas as well as all the prints on paper are hand-signed.  The canvas prints can be stretched and framed without glass.  The paper prints should be framed with glass.

There are some new pictures that are only now available as Giclee prints on canvas.  To view them go to 'New Works' under the 'Artworks by Subject' heading.


In Sefer Yetzirah the 10 Sefirot are always referred to as Sefirot of Nothingness בלימה (blimah).  Unlike the 22 Letters which can be expressed in speech, the10 Sefirot are conceptual, perceived in the mind.  And so are numbers. This image depicts the 10 Sefirot  as a Tree of Life Diagram with 3 vertical columns.  It representsthe human form as a reflection of the Divine.… more
This image containing various Geometric shapes and stars is basically divided into 9 sections - hinting at the 9 higher Sefirot (3 x 3).  The fractal repetitions within each section hints at the 10th Sefirah Malchut. Although Jewish people often claim the 6-pointed star as our own and call it a Jewish Star or the Magen David, and it does appear on the Israeli flag, this star is in fact… more
The Verse עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה framing this fiery scene is from the Book of Proverbs (3:18) and refers to the Torah, "a Tree of Life for those who hold fast to it".  This is especially true of the soul of the Torah - Kabbalah.  Its mystical teachings and meditative practices feed our soul. Had Adam and Eve eaten from the Tree of Life while still in the Garden of Eden, they would… more
One of the most complex meditative techniques of the Kabbalah uses the 72 three-letter Names of God in this picture.  These 216 letters (72 x 3 = 216) actually comprise One Name. This Name is mentioned in the Bahir and the Zohar, in Rashi’s commentary on the Talmud, but it was Rabbi Abraham Abulafia, the controversial 13th Century Kabbalist, who taught how to use this Name in order to attain… more
As in my painting 'The Tree of Life', the 3 columns of the Sefirot arrayed in this Tree of Life Diagram represents Nurture or our ability to choose.  We can act with Kindness (associated with the right column), with Strength (the left column), and with Beauty (the middle column).  Choosing is seen as Masculine in the Kabbalah, whereas Nature (as represented here by the Sefirot in their… more
According to the Kabbalah, before the Universe was created only the Ein Sof  existed.  The white surrounding the Seed in this picture represents the Ein Sof - the Infinite and Unlimited Light of God.  To create the limited realm of Souls in Time an Space, Ein Sof withdrew most of its Light from Creation.  The Kabbalists of Tzfat called this process צימצום (tzimtzum)… more
There is a small grove of ancient olive trees outside of Zefat.  It is about a fifteen-minute walk from my house, after two or three hairpin turns on the dirt road that goes down to Wadi Amud.  I used to like to sit in this grove surrounded by these ancient trees and meditate or study Kabbalah.  These trees were certainly here when Rabbi Isaac Luria was in Zefat in the 16th Century… more
This picture is influenced by the amazing art of M. C. Escher.  This design is also reminiscent of Celtic Knots.  It is based on the Sacred Geometry expressed in the order of the 3 groups of the 22 Hebrew Letters - 3 Mothers, 7 Doubles and 12 Simples - found in Sefer Yetzirah.  

THE ARTIST DAVID FRIEDMAN

I immigrated to Israel in 1977 at the age of 20, and spent two years studying Torah in Jerusalem, where I met my wife, Miriam. We got married in 1979 and moved to Zefat.

In Zefat, I mostly immersed myself in the study of the Talmud and other classic texts of Judaism as well as Kabbalah, but I continued to make art at night. 

READ DAVID'S STORY

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