Angela Klein

Born on Moshav Ben Shemen, 1975
Lives and works in Tel Aviv

Angela Klein's work is a tribute to the bust of Nefertiti, as well as to its mode of museal display in Berlin. Another work by Klein is based on Michel Obama's book on gardening and healthy nutrition. The book was cut to resemble a vase, and this new form highlights the figure photographed on its cover - one of the most famous contemporary women, wearing a blouse the color of the eggplant in her straw basket. Seen alongside Nefertiti, Michel Obama - another ruler's wife who is a dominant figure in her own right - raises thoughts about noteworthy wives in the past and present, liberal ideology, femininity and politics, and the very existence of "female" occupations.


Nefertiti

1370-1330 BCE

Nefertiti was the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, the ruler who worshipped a single god. Nefertiti ruled alongside him for 12 years, and took an active and significant part in governance. Nevertheless, she is best known for her charming bust, which illustrates the meaning of the name Nefertiti: "The beautiful woman has arrived." This sculpture of Nefertiti is one of the best-known representations of women in the ancient world. The bust of Nefertiti is made of chalkstone and covered with layers of painted plaster. It is 47 cm. high, and weighs about 20 kg. It was probably created in 1345 BCE, and was discovered in 1912 by the German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt. Borchardt took the bust back to Berlin, where it is still on display. Since its discovery, Nefertiti's name has become synonymous with universal female beauty.