A new exhibition opening at Beit Harishonim in Emek Hefer brings together painter Michael Kovner and a collective of contemporary weavers in a project that explores the intersection of painting and textile art.
“Thread of the Field,” on view from Jan. 16 through April 11, 2026, marks the culmination of a two-year collaboration that began when multidisciplinary artist Gila Miller Lapidot was invited to translate one of Kovner’s paintings into woven form. The initial effort expanded into a broader collective process under Miller Lapidot’s leadership, with 16 weavers participating in what organizers describe as a sustained dialogue between artistic disciplines.
The exhibition centers on three of Kovner’s paintings — “The Sea,” “The Cowshed” and “The Hayloft” — which draw on memories of Kibbutz Ein Hahoresh, including its orchards, cowshed, Mediterranean horizon and seasonal agricultural cycles. The paintings served as points of departure for the weavers, who reinterpreted the imagery through textile techniques rather than replicating it directly.
Organizers say the project emphasizes weaving as one of humanity’s oldest forms of image-making, closely linked to labor, community and storytelling. In this context, the loom functions both as a practical tool and as a metaphor for collaboration and renewal.
In translating brushstrokes into thread, participants shifted the visual language of the original works from pigment to fiber, transforming gesture into structure and painted surfaces into textured textile compositions. The resulting pieces explore variations in color, rhythm and material, moving from the optical qualities of painting to the tactile dimensions of woven art.
The exhibition positions the works in the space between art and craft, and between figurative and abstract expression, highlighting what curators describe as the possibilities of interdisciplinary creation and collective practice.
The project is led by Miller Lapidot. It is curated by Tamar Lamdan and Carmit Shine.
Beit Harishonim is located near Bitan Aharon in the Emek Hefer region. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with one of the participating weavers present during weekend hours.
A gallery talk with Kovner, Miller Lapidot, the curators and several of the weavers is scheduled for March 6, 2026, at 11 a.m.