"Holocaust Heroes: Fierce Females" Sculpture and Tapestries by Linda Stein

© Linda Stein, Anne Frank 839, 2015,Fabric, Archival Pigment on Canvas, Paints, Leather, Metal, and Zippers, 59 x 59 inches

Linda Stein has been obsessed with the theme of protection since 9/11 and was drawn to researching the Holocaust. While many people have been recognized for their courage in facing these horrific times, less attention has been placed on the women who made a difference.

The four-part exhibition includes: Heroic Tapestries, Spoon to Shell sculpture, Protector sculpture and a 7-minute looped video. Heroic Tapestries represent different aspects of bravery during the time of the Holocaust: Jew and non-Jew, child and adult, World War II military fighter and ghetto/concentration camp smuggler, record keeper and saboteur. Together they represent the many types of female heroism, with war battle gear and without, during the years of the Holocaust. For her Spoon to Shell sculpture, Stein blends spoon and shell into an amalgam of materials, addressing physical and emotional abuse. Protector includes a Wonder Woman shadow and becomes a symbol for the brave defender. The video, featuring Gloria Steinem, Abigail Disney, Elizabeth Sackler, and others, is a tour-de-force highlighting female heroes of the time of the Holocaust and the sculptures and tapestries that were made about them by artist Linda Stein.