Samuel Bak, world-renowned painter who was born in Vilna, and gallery owner Bernie Pucker will discuss Bak’s works and reflect on the theme of “home.” Through allegory and metaphor, Bak grapples with the ravages of war to create hauntingly beautiful paintings that have been exhibited around the world, including one painting in the permanent collection at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
According to Samuel Bak, Vilnius holds a special place in his life and has inspired his work. “My hometown is eternally imprinted in my soul. Vilnius, the Jerusalem of the North, was an important center of Jewish culture and a source of Litvak pride. Being part of the cultural map of my hometown is extremely important to me.”
Sukkot on the Hill asks the question “What does home mean to you?” Our sukkah art installation, walking tour of Jewish Beacon Hill, cookbook event with Leah Koenig, and talk with Vilna-born artist Samuel Bak and gallerist Bernie Pucker each offer a different answer to the question. Join us at The Vilna and share your answer to the question, “What does home mean to you?” Each program includes a welcome reception with light bites and festive spirits in our sukkah.
Meet the Artists
Samuel Bak was born in Vilna, Poland in 1933 at a crucial moment in modern history. From 1940 to 1944, Vilna was under first Soviet, then German occupation. His father and four grandparents all perished at the hands of the Nazis. At the end of World War II, he and his mother fled to the Landsberg Displaced Persons Camp where he took painting lessons at the Blocherer School, Munich. Bak’s studies continued as he immigrated to Israel, and later to Paris.
In 1959, he moved to Rome where his first exhibition of abstract paintings met with considerable success. Since then he has had many solo exhibitions at private galleries and numerous large retrospective exhibitions have been held in major museums and public institutions around the world. In Vilnus, the Samuel Bak Museum is devoted solely to his work.
Publications on Samuel Bak’s work include twelve books, most notably a 400-page Monograph entitled Between Worlds, and his touching memoir, Painted in Words. He is the subject of two documentary films.
Bernie Pucker is the director of the Pucker Gallery, which he founded with his wife, Sue, on Newbury Street in Boston in 1967. Pucker Gallery represents more than 50 artists from around the world, working in approximately 10 exhibitions annually, often paired with artist talks, virtual “WebinArts,” and Gallery dinners.
Bernie is currently a board member at the Japan Society, Boston, and the Jewish Publication Society. He also serves on the Leadership Council for Facing History and Ourselves as well as on the Artistic Advisory Board for the Terezin Music Foundation. Bernie received his MA in modern Jewish history from Brandeis University and his BA in history and English literature from Columbia College.