Hebrew Boys: Portals of Faith: Genesis Tramaine

In the series, Hebrew Boys: Portals of Faith, artist Genesis Tramaine draws inspiration from the Biblical book of Daniel, where Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (later and better known as Shadrach, Meshach Abednego) are laid captive in Babylon. Rejecting authoritarian orders of idolatry by reaffirming their beliefs and culture, the men are thrown into a finery furnace and emerge, without harm. 

Tramaine depicts the resilient faith of each of these young men through what she calls “portrait portals,” or visages that are windows into our collective history that determine our future. Using traditional West African storytelling techniques, Tramaine employs coded forms and symbology to capture the spirit of both past and present, to transmit narratives of ancestral language, culture, and wisdom. 

This series excavates what it means to speak truth to power and defend who you are and what you believe. What is faith? How we interpret it? And most of all, how implement it to navigate life our lives? Tramaine invites viewers to investigate what it means to be or see vessels or portals for others to discover strength, peace, and purpose.