Work of survivor and artist Naomi Blake on show at free exhibition

The works of artist and Holocaust survivor Naomi Blake are on show at a free outdoor exhibition from the Royal Society of Sculptors.

Blake’s work is being celebrated as part of the society’s Pioneering Women project, which shines a spotlight on the lives, careers and legacies of talented female sculptors. 

The works, which have been loaned by Blake’s children, Jonathan Blake and Anita Peleg, are displayed on the terrace of the organisation’s headquarters in South Kensington. They are Memorial to the Holocaust, 1999 Man Against The Odds III, 1986 Sanctuary and 1985.

Born in Mukačevo, Czechoslovakia, in 1924, Blake was just a teenager when she was deported to and survived Auschwitz, before escaping a Nazi death march. She started a new life in Palestine and was involved in Israel’s war of independence. It was during her recovery from a shot wound that she started to carve an olive branch and realised a newly-found passion for sculpture.

Caroline Worthington, director of the Royal Society of Sculptors says: “Blake’s sculptures symbolise hope and optimism in the face of adversity, a message which surely resonates with us all at the moment.” 

Details: https://sculptors.org.uk