Last Updated on October 3, 2019
Hannah Senesh – the spy and poet to be honored by a Japanese-American artist.
Hannah Senesh mural by artist JUURI
A giant mural of Israeli WWII hero Hannah Senesh (also: Hannah Szenes) is being painted by Japanese-American artist JUURI for the all-female Ladies Who Paint festival in downtown San Diego. Hannah Senesh was a pioneer in Israel around the time of the Jewish State’s founding, a celebrated poet, and WWII paratrooper and spy who was caught and killed by the Nazis when she was infiltrating Nazi occupied Hungary to free Jews and Allied prisoners. The non-profit Artists4Israel, an organization that combats antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment through urban art brought JUURI to the country twice to paint murals at the volatile border between Israel and Lebanon and to beautify the bomb shelters of Sderot outside of Gaza. JUURI, an Evangelical Christian, was left with an abiding love for the Jewish state. On her trips she learned of the story of Hannah Senesh who became a personal hero.
JUURI is a Tokyo-born muralist and artist currently working from Oklahoma City. She is one of 11 female artists invited to paint downtown San Diego for the Ladies Who Paint festival. Her work is inspired by her Japanese heritage and explores the themes of beauty and luxury; ethnic cultures; and war and peace. By layering beautiful faces with flora and paradoxical themes, JUURI achieves an instantly recognizable aesthetic.
