In a world saturated with images, it seems easy to capture a photo, but it is really difficult to see it. The late Stephanie Cohen was more than just a photographer; she was an explorer of the human soul, a wanderer at heart, and a woman who sought and found deep connections between cultures, communities, and individuals. Through her camera lens, she not only documented, she observed, listened and touched.
The exhibition "World Explorer" is the second instalment in a trilogy that showcases her photographs of journeys around the globe. Unlike a passing tourist, Stephanie was present. She was not merely content with seeing breathtaking landscapes or famous sites, she sought what was beyond it, the face, the gaze, the story on the roadside.
Photography for her was a silent conversation; even when there was no common language, she knew how to listen through the gaze, feel the pulse of the place, and create a safe space where the person in front of her could simply be. This simplicity, this honesty, is what makes her photographs so touching.
Her photographs in this exhibition focus on the characters she met: Women, men, children and the elderly from all corners of the world. From the Andes to markets in Africa, from remote villages in Asia to alleys in European cities. Each photograph is a moment of connection, of human recognition that transcends language, religion, gender or borders. Her works show the cultural sensitivity, modesty and respect with which she approached each person she photographed.
Stephanie not only documented the world, she interpreted it with kind eyes, with sharp sensitivity and with love for people. The exhibition "World Explorer" is not just a description of a geographical journey; it is an emotional, social and human journey. It is a look at the world through the eyes of someone who saw each person as a whole world.
Stephanie was born on 6/8/1953 in London as the only child of her parents. In 1973, she came to Israel as a volunteer for 6 months, and a year later, in 1975, she made Aliyah purely out of Zionism. There she met her husband, Ami, and together they developed a love and passion for travelling around the world. Stephanie passed away from cancer in March 2024 after a battle with the disease for over 3 years.
Exhibition visiting hours: Sunday – Thursday, 09:00 –17:00
