Photographic Series · 2024

Inherited Gestures

Irene, Dafna Tzidkiyahu’s grandmother, would bless her children and grandchildren with the Priestly Blessing, placing her hands on their heads. After Irene’s death, her daughter Drora reenacts the gesture by blessing Dafna.

In the staged portraits, Irene’s daughters—some born in Iran and others in Israel—and Dafna wear scarves that belonged to Irene, tied in the same way she wore them. They also wear Babaghori necklaces inherited from Irene. In one portrait, Dafna wears her grandmother’s jacket; in another, a tablecloth from Irene’s kitchen becomes the photographic backdrop.

Across the series, inheritance becomes an action: gestures are repeated, scarves are tied, and inherited clothing and jewelry are worn again in front of the camera.