This artist talk invites us to explore the creative act as a healing process, drawing together British Jewish artists and reflecting on their artwork post 7/10. With Caren Garfen, Carol Isaacs and Zoom Rockman, moderated by Liat Rosenthal.’
Caren Garfen is an award-winning artist known for her meticulous hand stitching and thought-provoking work. She transforms everyday objects into powerful symbols, addressing gender politics, body image and work-life balance. Since 2019, her focus has shifted to the Holocaust and rising global antisemitism. Garfen delves deeply into complex issues, creating accessible yet challenging works. Her art has received international acclaim and has been exhibited widely across the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan and the USA, resonating with audiences through its emotional depth and social relevance.
ZOOM ROCKMAN is a London based, award-winning political cartoonist, illustrator and film maker. His groundbreaking animated drama, SURVIVOR the true story of Ivor Perl BEM is being described as a game changer in Holocaust Education. SURVIVOR premiered at MIPCOM CANNES 2024 and is now streaming on ABC in Australia and Netflix (Israel). Zoom is currently working on an animated TV series featuring his cartoon character, ‘Skanky Pigeon’ who originally appeared in iconic British Comic, The BEANO from 2012 – 2016.
Carol Isaacs is a keyboard player & accordionist in the pop and world music fields, recording and touring worldwide with many international artists including Sinéad O’Connor (Ireland), The Indigo Girls (US), Ahmed Mukhtar (Iraq), Phongsit Khampee (Thailand). She is a founder member of the London Klezmer Quartet (UK).
Also known as award-winning cartoonist The Surreal McCoy (published in the New Yorker, Private Eye, Spectator) Carol drew The Wolf of Baghdad graphic memoir based on her own family’s recol-lections of life in Iraq and then turned it into a motion comic with music. She also plays Arabic ac-cordion on the soundtrack. The book itself was published by Myriad Editions (UK) in January 2020 and was one of the Guardian’s best graphic novels. She won the inaugural Jewish Children’s Book Awards in 2021 for her story Samira’s Stars based on family memories of Shabbat in Iraq.
Carol was also awarded funding by UK Jewish Film to produce two short documentary films, Grow-ing Up Mizrahi (2023) and Torn (2024).