Riv Shapiro

Artist Statement

My evolving work is grounded in diasporic Jewish spirituality, political solidarity, and eco-mysticism. I use material and symbolic metaphors (saltwater, fabric, safety pins, vessels, pomegranates) to explore grief, ancestral memory, land connection and solidarity. My projects span performance, sound, sculpture, social gatherings, and ritual-based installation. Drawing much of my inspiration from experiences of connection with both Israelis and Palestinians, my works embody contradictions and invite collective growth in our capacity to hold multiple truths.

My installations typically feature video documentation of performance, which I approach with Anna and Lawrence Halprin’s scoring methodology that I learned at the Tamalpa Institute. I often focus on a repeated ritual action, such as tearing fabric, dipping in saltwater, and drawing and pouring water. Some elements are pre-determined; many are improvised. Performance becomes a site for catharsis and discovery, leading to new insights and more questions.

My work is conceptual and process-based, utilizing a fluidity of material languages grounded in Ancient Jewish rituals. I turn toward both grief and histories of solidarity, committed to thriving Jewish futures in which no one else must be displaced. Through research, collaboration, and storytelling, my practice becomes a form of embodied, activist ritual, rooted in communal healing.