Jewish Artists on Jewish Art Profile #5
Fortune Chalme wearing her creation titled, “The Continuation”
Fortune Chalme is a multimedia artist whose work spans fine art and contemporary Judaica design. For Fortune, “making art is a way of living Judaism and helping others connect more deeply to theirs.” She creates beautiful laser-cut leather ritual objects such as challah covers, mezuzah cases, and tallit bags. I love the sleek contemporary aesthetic of her artwork and am inspired by her thoughtful approach to her creative expression.
In our conversation, I was moved by Fortune's description of art as "a spiritual practice" and her understanding of creativity as a way of both questioning and affirming her relationship to Jewish culture and what it means to be a traditional Sephardi Jewish woman. Her journey as an artist has been deeply intertwined with her exploration of Jewish identity.
During Fortune’s upbringing in a Brooklyn modern Orthodox Syrian Jewish community, art was both a sanctuary for her and a way to grapple with complex questions about gender, Jewish identity, and tradition. Fortune attended after-school art classes at her Jewish day school which gave her a sense of belonging to the community in a unique way. Later, she pursued a Bachelors in Fine Arts at the School of Visual Arts which was her first time attending a school that wasn’t Jewish.
As the only modern Orthodox Jewish person in her college program, Fortune experienced a culture shock that led her to examine her Syrian-Egyptian upbringing through a feminist lens. Much of her work in college questioned aspects of Jewish law like niddah and explored double standards around women's roles in Jewish life. "I've always had a deep love for my heritage as a Syrian-Egyptian Jewish woman, and my art has been a way to explore and express that identity—sometimes by questioning rituals, always with love," she explained.
Star of David Talit Bag, Fortune Chalme
A pivotal moment came when Fortune encountered laser-cutting technology and then applied the craft to her engagement present for her future husband in the Sephardic tradition of kuracha. Her uniquely contemporary approach to creating Jewish ritual items caught on quickly as she was frequently commissioned for custom orders. This led to the development of her brand, “Gilded in Leather” featuring her contemporary Judaica designs, including challah covers, mezuzah cases, and tallit and tefillin bags. Her laser-cut leather ritual objects use intricate patterns of positive and negative space inspired by her love of symbols used in Jewish ritual items throughout history.
When I asked Fortune how she defines Jewish art, her response echoed themes I've heard throughout this series: "For me, Jewish art is any art made by a Jewish person…I create from a place of meaning, and my Jewish identity is a central part of my life…Our identities shape how we see the world, and as a Jewish woman, my work is naturally infused with the rhythms, questions, and symbols of Jewish life." She estimates that about 90% of her work is Jewish art: “Jewish art is at the heart of my creative journey.”
“Fabric,” Fortune Chalme