Elianna Lev
Lev Means Heart
When my parents and sister immigrated from Israel to Canada in the late 1970s, they legally changed their last name from "Lipshitz" to "Lev." Translated from Hebrew, "Lev" means heart. I was born several years later, making me the first person in my family to be born into this name.
This is a pretty telling detail about myself.
Physically, the heart is what keeps a creature alive -- a big responsibility for a relatively small organ. Symbolically, the heart encapsulates the meaning of love -- also a big responsibility. For as long as I can remember, I've felt it was my obligation to take on those responsibilities, as a way to honour my last name.
The result of this ambitious task has taken me to places both beautiful and frightening. It's an ongoing journey that often feels like a struggle.
But luckily I am someone who tries to live by the simple and widely referenced mantra: Love conquers fear. It certainly makes things a lot easier.
In 2006, I started the series Lev Means Heart as a way to translate and document my commitment to love and loving. I have no technical skills or solid understanding of art. But I felt it was important to try and articulate what goes on inside of me. As a result, this ongoing series comes from a genuine place: My heart.
