Meirav Ong (she/they) is an Ashkenazi-American transdisciplinary artist who draws from her Jewish heritage as a framework to conceive of an embodied prayer practice that exists as an alternative to Judaism’s patriarchal structures. Her practice explores embodied prayer in relation to grief, Jewish mourning rituals, and Genetic Memory through textiles, clay, sound, performance and social practice. Ong holds an MFA in Fiber from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA from University of Michigan. She has exhibited at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, CA, The Everson Museum in Syracuse, NY, The Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, MI, Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, NJ among others. Her work with community organizations includes The Zekelman Holocaust Center, Lab/Shul, and JFREJ among others. She’s the recipient of grants to the Vermont Studio Center, Penland School of Craft, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Chautauqua School of Art among others. Her work has been published by AJS Perspectives, Ayin Press, and No Tokens Journal among others. She is a founding member of Well of Wills, an artist collective fostering self-expression for women and nonbinary emerging artists. Ong is currently based in Philadelphia, PA.
The Grief Temple, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Hannah Roodman.
My art is a practice of listening.
Listening as an act of resistance.
Listening as an act of defiance.
Listening as an act of re/connecting to our bodies.
Through surfacing seemingly lost histories of women-designed rituals and prayer practices, my work reveals the inherited traumas of Jewish women who have been pacified and silenced for generations by the patriarchal gatekeepers of Jewish law. My practice sanctifies the act of listening to mend the inherited traumas of this repression. I create sanctuaries for listening with textiles, clay, sound recordings and ritual-based performances.
As a maker, my handiwork is my prayer. The physical labor of my work – twisting, stretching, wrapping, pulling, gathering, tying, and knotting – are expressive acts of listening, a transmission of my ancestors’ embodied knowledge. I am twisting. I am stretching. I am pulling. I am gathering. I am unfolding. I work with materials which carry their own secrets and stories, like old bed sheets and discarded clothing, rocks and earth, inviting them as witnesses of generations past to voice their untold narratives. Listening, a seemingly counterintuitive response to being silenced, is a practice of empathy.
By examining grief through Jewish mourning rituals, Genetic Memory, and lost ancestral practices, my work seeks after a reparative intervention by and for non-male practices which function as a rejoinder to the powers that both have and continue to define and manage Jewish spiritual practices. While most recently my practice has responded to matters within Modern Orthodox Judaism, my work can be read more broadly as an indictment of and resistance to systemic discrimination against non-male voices within patriarchal systems. By subverting the silence of repression through curating experiences of intentional listening, my work transforms listening into an act of defiance and reclamation.
Meirav Ong (she/they)
based in philadelphia, pa
Education
2022 MFA in Fiber, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2012 BFA, Magna Cum Laude, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Selected Exhibitions and Performances
2024 LIGHT weight, Beit Chabot, Oakland, CA (solo)
California Jewish Open, Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA
2023 DO LESS, Affective Care, New York, New York
Unraveling, Transference, VENTS, Ridgewood, NY (solo)
Kehilla, Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, Detroit, MI
2022 LATITUDE Cranbrook Architecture Alumni x Detroit Design Month, Detroit, MI (catalogue)
Fiber: The Gathering, Forum Gallery, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Graduate Degree Exhibition, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hill, MI (catalogue)
Word of Mouth, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Body Altars, Forum Gallery, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2021 CVA School of Art Emerging Artist Exhibition, Fowler-Kellogg Art Center, Chautauqua, NY
Speculative Histories, The Cranbrook House, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Edge of Perception, Showfields, NY, NY
Fiber Forum, Forum Gallery, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2019 Rubbish, The Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY
No Man’s Land, Apostrophe’S Gallery, Syracuse, NY
Jewish Geographies: Jewish Space in Contemporary Art, Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
The Silent Music of the Body, The Wall, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2018 Eros and Spirituality, City Lore Gallery, New York, NY
An Anthology of Irreverence, Smith Hall, Syracuse, NY
Spring Open House, Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ
Well of Wills presents: Esther 2018: Labor of Love, House of Yes, Brooklyn, NY
Object Action: The “F” Word in a Post-Truth Era Pop-up curated by Amy Kisch, State Space, SF, CA
2017 Fuel for the Fire, The Arts Council, Fayetteville, NC
2016 Swing State, Rojas + Rubensteen Projects, Miami, FL
Lifesource, Hadas Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (solo)
Raw Brooklyn Presents: Motif, The Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY
Dimensions of Spirituality, USC Hillel Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
’91 Violence, curated by Jonathan Allen, Repair the World, Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn: Juxtaposition, 808 Nostrand Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2015 Moments hosted by Deck Salon, Brooklyn, NY (solo)
Concealed Revealment hosted by Noerr LLP, New York, NY (solo)
Waiting in Wonder, Creative Soul Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Commissioned Projects
2025 The Gates of Justice, Manna Festival, New Cuyama, CA
Miss Apocalypse, Berkeley, CA
2024 The Grief Temple, Aravah Sukkot Festival, Hopland, CA
Grief Stones, Jewish Community Center of SF, San Francisco, CA
Grief Stones, Tent of Mourning Actifest, The Shalom Institute, Berkeley, CA
2022 Grief Stones, The Zekelman Holocaust Center, Detroit, MI
The Vibration Portal, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2021 Rise from the Rubble, in partnership with JFREJ and Lab/Shul, Bowery Park, NY, NY
Iyar, Misaviv Calendar, Deuteronomy Press
2020 40 Days of Teshuvah, in partnership with JFREJ, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY
Costumes for Firelei Báez with Art21 “New York Close Up” NY, NY
2019 Sabbath Queen, in partnership with Lab/Shul, Brooklyn, NY
Residencies
2025 Summer 2025 Helen Residency, Hudson, NY
2024 Fox Hollow Artist Residency, Hocking Hills, OH
Artist-in-Residence, East Bay JCC, Oakland, CA
2023 T.E.X.E.R.E. Textile Residency, Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico
2022 Artist-in-Residence, BasBlue, Detroit, MI
2021 Chautauqua Visual Arts Residency, Chautauqua, NY
Artist-in-Residence, Dinner #2 with Red Flower Collective, Chautauqua, NY
2017 Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
Artist-in-Residence at Mister Rogers, Brooklyn, NY
Awards & Fellowships
2022 Bertha Anolic Travel Award
J.A.W. Breaker Fellowship, The Amen Institute, NY, NY
2021 Merit Scholarship, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Robert C. Larson Venture Fund, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Meredith Beau CAA ’97 and Scott Beau Materials Fund, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Roberta J. McKibbin Memorial Scholarship for Visual Arts, Chautauqua Visual Arts, Chautauqua, NY
2020 Merit Scholarship, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2019 Windgate University Fellows Scholarship, Arrowmont School of Craft, Gatlinburg TN
Work-Study Scholarship Award, Penland School of Craft, Bakersville, NC
Creative Opportunity Grant, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2018 Creative Opportunity Grant, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Graduate Scholarship Award, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2017 Artist’s Grant, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
Resident Artist, Mister Rogers, Brooklyn, NY
ROI: Grassroots Initiative Grant, New York, NY
2016 Mechon Hadar Micro-grant, New York, NY
Selected Lectures
2024 Visiting Artist Talk, The North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina
Visiting Artist Talk, The University of San Francisco State, San Francisco, CA
2023 Guest Artist “Feminism and Rage in Jewish Dance,” American Jewish Studies Conference, San Francisco, CA
Visiting Artist Talk, “Bodycon(cept),” University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Artist Talk Panelist, “Dance, Movement, and Jewish Modernity” By Jewish Music Forum: A Project of the ASJM
2022 Visiting Artist Talk, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
Presenter, “Reinvigorating Ritual through the Recipes of My Ancestors: An Embodied Prayer Practice,” Conney Conference on Jewish Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Artist Talk, “Grief Stones for Dinner,” Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Artist Talk, J.A.W. Breaker Fellowship Articulation
2021 Filmmaker Q&A, Chain NYC Film Festival, NY, NY
2020 Artist Talk, The City Lore gallery, NY, NY
The Ark Premier Filmmaker Q&A (virtual)
Artist Interview with Caitlin Albright, Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY
Teaching Experience
2025 Instructor, Weaving workshops, Melacha U’vracha, VT
2023 Instructor, Natural Dye and Weaving Workshop with Chavaya Vermont, Bethel, VT
2022 Workshop Facilitator, Grief Stone Meditations, in collaboration with the Zekelman Holocaust Center, BasBlue, Detroit, MI
Facilitator, Taking Care of Patients: Clay Meditation, Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI
Instructor, Body Altars Meditation Workshop, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills MI
2021 Instructor, Propping the Conversation Workshop, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills MI
Facilitator, Practices of Care, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills MI
Facilitator, Tashlichi, Beit Toratah (virtual)
Instructor, Grief Stone Meditation, Chautauqua Visual Arts, Chautauqua, NY
2020 Instructor, 40 Days of Teshuvah: Art Build in Collaboration with JFREJ, Brooklyn, NY
2019 Instructor, The Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY
2018-19 Teaching Assistant, Senior Capstone Course, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2018 Teaching Assistant, Sophomore Year Studio Course, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2012 Visiting Artist, Striar Hebrew Academy of Sharon, Sharon, MA
Professional Work Experience
2023 Contributing Arts Editor, Ayin Press, Brooklyn, NY
2021-22 Cranbrook Fiber Department Visiting Artist Liaison, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Cranbrook Fiber Department Scheduling Assistant, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2019 Art Handler & Cataloguer for Lara Favaretto at The Bass Museum, Miami, FL
Gallery Educator, The Everson Museum, Syracuse NY
Graduate Student Faculty Liaison, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2018-19 Co-Curator, Random Access Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2017- Art Director and Co-Founder, Well of Wills Collective, Brooklyn, NY
2016-17 Co-Founder and Facilitator, Creative Healing Collective, Brooklyn, NY
2014-16 Educator, Park Avenue Synagogue, NY, NY
Educator, ATiD at 92Y, NY, NY
Educator, Town and Village Synagogue, NY, NY
2012-13 Assistant Art Director and Educator, Camp Yavneh, NH
Publications
2024 I Like Your Work, Summer Exhibition Catalog: “It’s Complicated” (Print)
KQED, “At CJM, Jewish Artists Explore ‘Connection’ During a Time of Division”
Journal Illustration (Digital) Ayin Press: Otiyot: Rothman-Zecher, Moriel. “Why I Cannot Speak in Full Sentences.”
2023 Zine Illustration (Print, Digital) Hammer, Jill. “ Eitz Chalomot: Dream Practices & Guided Meditations for Tu b’Shevat.” Ayin Press
2022 Journal Article (Print) Rosenberg, Douglas. “The Artists.” AJS Perspectives: The Justice Issue Fall 2022, 26-27
2021 Journal Article (Print) Ong, Meirav. “Inventory.” Fountainswimming Student Journal, Issue 1, ARCHIVE
2020 Journal Illustration (Digital) Ayin Journal: Ayin One: Tardema
2019 Journal Illustration (Print, Cover art) No Tokens The Journal: Issue No. 8 Spring/Summer 2019
Journal Illustration (Digital) No Tokens: Victoria Kornick — Picnic, Poetry February 28, 2019
Collections
Special Collections, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI
Private Collection of Noerr LLP in New York, NY
Copyright © 2025 Meirav Ong, All Rights Reserved