Art by Emily K

@museum.of.emilyk.art

2320 Followers 26 Following

I have my own museum, I'm a Very Serious Artist. Portfolio: https://emilyk.art Commissions open. If I see that you use Ai slop “art,” you get blocked. Support my work: 🎨 https://patreon.com/emilyk 👉🏼One time donations: https://ko-fi.com/artbyemilyk

A stark, black and white illustration of a payphone is at the center. There's a sign on the side of it that says "Pregnant? Don't want to be? Call Jane at 643-3844." It is one of the ads they placed in a paper. The background of the illustration is stylized to look like a page from an old "Yellow Pages" phone book. There are old photos of the Janes and their workplace interspersed between lists of Jewish verses, designed to look like phone number entries. These are citations of Jewish texts addressing social justice, civil disobedience, abortion, and medicine. The AT&T logo on the payphone is stylized to be a hamsa, with RM"K (my Hebrew name initials). The background overall is designed to have a 1970s printed page style.
A two-circle Venn Diagram titled "Flat White." On the left is a flat white, which is a coffee drink, in a cup. On the right is a pile of "flat white" varietal pumpkins. They are squat and off-white. In the center where the circles cross it says "IT'S AUTUMN, B---S!" The third word is mostly covered with fall leaves.
Hebrew calligraphy in dark green stretches in lines across the image. Negative space makes room for a simple representation of an inflatable frog costume with a blue bandana. That shape consists of the English translation of the Hebrew, in a lighter green, and in much smaller text. -- Famously, the Egyptian tyrant causes Egypt to be overrun with frogs because he refuses to free the Hebrew people, but there are additional details that make this a fun one to ponder. For one, the Hebrew says "the frog came up" - ONE frog - even though the rest of the time it says "frogs." So there are a few explanations rabbis have come up with to explain this. One is that a single frog multiplied to create swarms. A more creative explanation is that there was a singular giant frog who traveled and brought destruction. Jewish social media was sharing videos of the Portland Frog protester with the caption, "One Big Frog! One Big Frog!" Of course the frog protesters did multiply, and many were seen in crowds all over the world on "No Kings" Day. This calligraphic work takes the verses addressing the frog plague and combines them to form a simple rendering of the Portland Frog protester. The frog figure itself is made up of the English translations of the Hebrew around it. At the bottom left my signature is in the shape of a lily pad.
Color comic with multiple panels. Pepe the Frog, a lanky frog with a stoner expression on his face - but somewhat sad - walks away from a burning pile of 4chan logos and "Kek"s. He sees some commotion and perks up. In the next panel, he's shocked at the sight of dancing frogs, a la the Portland Frog inflatable costume protesters. One frog notices him, and reaches for his hand. The final panel shows the frog leading Pepe by the hand to the other dancing protesting frogs. The frog says "Frogs together strong," and Pepe says "feels good, man."
a sketchy orange pen drawing of wireless over-the-ear headphones.
a pair of square, nerdy glasses viewed from an overhead angle on a table. The temples are slightly folded in to form an X.
a small clay pitcher drawn in green pen. It has a small spout and a handle. Drawing it was more trouble than it was worth
A sketchy, hastily-drawn mini spray bottle.
A woman in full armor sits in profile under a date palm tree. She holds a torch in her left hand and the scales of justice in her right. A bee is below her foot, as well as the name "Devorah." A radiating sphere made up of Hebrew letters is below the scales. -- The original card shows the emperor with his foot above a bee, which was my cue to turn this card into a representation of the prophet/judge/general/singer Deborah (which means “bee”). Her name is below her in Hebrew. She is described as being a “firey woman,” hence the torch she holds out. The scales of course represent her judgeship over Israel. The Hebrew letters in the circle represent each tribe. Deborah sits below a date-palm, which is where she was approached for judgment.
An angel with a calm expression holds her hand above a mostly-black globe. A single ray extends down from her palm into its center. Her wings are on either side of her. Fire comes up from the bottom, around the globe. -- The wing shapes of the original card made me think of the phrase “wings of the shechinah.” Her hand directs the contracted Ein Sof from the Lurianic emanations. The flames became the parted Red Sea, between which the word “ger” - immigrant, proselyte- sits. The sages state that all proselytes will be sheltered under the wings of the shechinah.
A woman stands in the clouds with a sword in front of a menorah. She holds a decapitated head. Below her it says יהודית. The head's helmet is below in a bloody pool. -- Another fairly straightforward edit, a woman holding a sword and a decapitated man’s head is an obvious reference to Judith, who cut of the Selucid general’s head and so humiliated the army that they fled. His bloody helmet lies at her feet, next to her name. Because her story is told during Hanukkah, I transformed the upper decoration into a Hannukah menorah (Hanukkiah).
#Inktober day 5 - The Chariot The mysticism of “merkavah” - chariot - is one of the oldest forms of Jewish mysticism. Strongly influenced by the visions of Ezekiel, where wheels and chambers in heavenly realms feature prominently. When one meditates properly, they can enter the chambers and experience God. The sages warn against sharing directions for doing so, however. The knowledge of the four things written in Ancient Hebrew - what is above, below, before, and after- is forbidden to be obtained by people without guidance from a master. The concentric circles are an early rendering of the sephirot. The lower circle contains the first letters of Ezk 2:1. Of course there are the wheels from the original card- but the surrounding setting is made up of Fire and Water reaching toward one another. The Hamsa with the four-headed shin represent Shaddai whom Ezekiel heard during his vision.
For the Hanged Man, I transformed the figure into a concentration camp prisoner. Hanging was a primary means of execution in the camps. But I was chiefly inspired by the upside-down “B” in “Arbeit Macht Frei,” the sign that greets the incoming prisoners. It’s said that this was done on purpose by Jewish forced laborers to signal that this was not a true statement and all wasn’t what it seemed. The upside down B and the man hanged upside down are part of the same symbolism. The original card shows a nude man with a Star of David on his backside. The choice was obvious. The Lutheran Cross shows the German Christian influence in the perpetuation of the antisemitism powering the Shoah. In the original, the cross stands aside bearing witness and doing nothing. The water symbolism and Egyptian symbolism were transformed into a reference to the Exodus and the parting of the sea- In the original, waves appear on each side of the figure. The snake at the center becomes Aaron’s rod.
An illustration of a young woman in a simple military button down shirt holding up a lulav with a defiant look on her face. She holds a yellow grenade in the place of an etrog/citron. She stands in front of a brick wall that has a poster on it in block Yiddish letters: "Let us not go like sheep to the slaughter!" in yellow letters on a blue background. Below it is a circular seal that says "We will outlive them" with a stylized torah scroll unrolled as a border. Two hands make the priestly blessing, with a flame between them and crown above them. Below the words "Ner Tamid" (Eternal Light) form a bowl. The image in total is a lamp containing the eternal flame itself. At the top in small yellow block text is BS"D. The overall style is like that of a block print. The color scheme is yellows, blues, and beige.
Black and white single panel comic. Donald Trump sits at his desk absentmindedly staring at a TV screen, showing "Democrat Riots" on Fox News. Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth point to it. Peter Theil stands behind. Russel Vought drops more government cuts to be signed, while Stephen Miller takes Trump's hand, which is grasping a sharpie, to sign all the directives.
A single panel black and white comic. The Supreme Court of the U.S. building casts a long shadow obscuring the first page of the Constitution, which is long on the ground in front of it. The shadow has the word "Docket" at the top.
A 20th century print-style illustration of Jewish WW2 partisan fighter Sara Ginaite. The color scheme is dark greens and light greens, with red for emphasis. She is smiling in partisan garb, a rifle slung over her shoulder. An olive branch winds its way around the rifle. Instead of grenades, there are pomegranates on her belt. She is framed by a diamond, around which in Yiddish block text it says "All people are siblings. Fascism and Nazism must be smashed!" The background is made up of an intricate pattern of hamsas. At the top right and bottom left are pomegranate shapes in red. The top one says "BS"D" which means "with heaven's help," and the bottom contains the seal on all of my "Ner Tamid Series" works - a stylized lam with the words "We will outlive them" and "Justice Justice Shall You Pursue" in Yiddish and Hebrew respectively.
A Charlie Baron Sukkot by Emily K. A very simple entry to a sukkah is shown - two sticks on either side, and branches make a flat roof at the top. Fruits hang off of it. A lulav and etrog are below.
"Clippit" (or, "Clippy") the paperclip from Microsoft Word is looking at you cheerfully. He is a paperclip with two big eyes on top of a piece of yellow notebook paper. He says, "It looks like you're experiencing systemic oppression. Have you tried making different personal choices?"
A dark blue sketchy drawing of a USPS “big blue” street mailbox.
A map of Gaza made up of various styles of Hebrew text. Around the border of the piece is the English translation of the Hebrew. On the bottom right is my signature, in the form of olive branches. The text is in blue, green, red, and black. -- Maimonides states “there is no greater mitzvah than the redemption of captives.” And who are the captives? They are the Palestinians in Gaza, held hostage by foreign powers and by their own government, who has not had elections since they came to power. They’re held hostage by an Israeli government that has empowered that government holding them hostage and has not tried to redeem them. Then there are the Israeli civilian hostages taken into Gaza by terrorists. The blue letters in the main territory represent each of those people, with the letters taken from their names. The calligraphic representations of the name of God (YHVH is not here) are also blue, to represent anyone else not accounted for. The colors come from both the Palestine and Israel flags. In black are the borders of the blockade. In red, the translations of the verses calling for the redemption of captives. In the cursive writing is the verse of Amos, “let justice well up like waters.” The only just end to this war is a redemption of both Israeli AND Palestinian captives. Put redemption is as intertwined as the letters making up the territory. There is no peace for either of us until there is peace for both of us.
A black and white illustration of a cartoon giraffe from the neck up. Instead of spots, it has different tones of the transgender symbol. Next to the giraffe it says "I'll stick my neck out for you." Around the edge in large letters, it says "This Home Defends Trans Rights." In smaller letters it says "Healthcare Access • Freedom Of Expression • Public Accomodation • Civil Rights Protections."
Cover Page. Title: "ZIONISM" - ציונות - What is it? Who is it? Why is it? by Emily K. At the top is a basic skyline of an Israeli city. A black and white drawing of Theodor Herzl, who is a brooding man with black hair and a long black beard, leaning over a bridge with his hands clasped.
Stephen Miller and Joseph Goebbels in a dual portrait in the style of a rough pen drawing. They share a mouth and an eye, as their faces overlap on one side. Their expressions are the same, as their hate comes from the same place and targets the most vulnerable.
A poster with black lettering and imagery on a beige background. At the top it says "Protect Yourself From This Menace" in large bold type. Below is a black square with reverse beige letters that say: "The DHS and ICE are anti-law, anti-order, anti-justice, anti-freedom and anti-America." In the square on the left, in the same coloring, is a cartoon of an ICE officer in full tactical gear with a rifle, wearing a mask of course. Below the square in bold type is "DO NOT OBEY IN ADVANCE!" The IWW was forward-thinking in that they were one of the only unions to actively organize across race, ethnicity, resident status, and religion.
A vertical poster that says "Beware" in all black capital letters at the top, with "Liberty or Occupation" in smaller letters below it. Then a black cat with an arched back, extended claws, and puffy tail looks menacingly at the viewer. It has a sub sandwich in its mouth. A red circle is behind it as a backdrop. Below it are the words, "We Never Forget" in red. Below in large black letters is "SUBOTAGE."
Trump waters a small leafy vine in a pot labeled "Epstein conspiracy theories." The vine grows tall above him, into a thorny, carnivorous blossom bending over to bite him. He doesn't take notice.
A red and black print-like image on a beige background. An ICE officer is being crushed underneath a giant sub sandwich. The sun in the sky is a fist with the words "Do not obey in advance" around it. The Washington DC skyline can be seen in black against a red sky. In off-white large letters is the word "SUB-OTAGE." Below in an off-white square is the text: "Sub-otage is when a hero bites back, jams up or clubs off the fangs of Fascism — B.L.T. Haywood." -- Acts like this - disruptive, low-stakes, often comedic - are an important part of the sabotage of authoritarianism. The IWW union would post "silent agitators" to spread their message. This illustration is a parody of one such poster, which advocates "sabotage" in the form of a wooden shoe crushing a capitalist. The quote is by William "Bill" Haywood, the founder of IWW. He is a controversial figure, to say the least, but his ideas about spreading the message are still in use today in the form of wheat paste posters and stickers.
A group of corgis wearing bandanas with an anti-monarchy symbol on them gather around a table in a basement to strategize. A map of England is on the table, with other documents. Behind them on the wall is an anti-monarchy flag and a portrait of another corgi. There are also dog treats and a filing cabinet. The lead corgi, wearing a black cap, is speaking to them. "Just spoke to our man on the inside. The time to move is NOW."
A group of ICE officers, fully decked out in armor and masks, ride. horses in formation. Another man on a horse leads them - a KKK member carrying a burning cross, his horse bucking triumphantly.
Mario is in Super Mario World, collecting coins. He has 84. He has one life left.
In cursive writing the title says "Guidance for recognizing tyranny from a nation's founders." A quill pen is at the side. Below is a tattered piece of paper with the words, "A Declaration. Let facts be submitted to a candid world."
A masked ICE goon in rough black and white drawing. He is saying "I Kidnap Moms off the street but it's not cuz I'm a Gestapo-Wannabe Coward, it's cuz I'm a big brave boy. Also, the reason I wear a mask is NOT because MY FACE SCARES SMALL CHILDREN AND DOGS.
Black and white comic. panel 1: Emily is on her laptop clicking the mouse. 2: a CAPTCHA says "Select all images with bicycles." There are several squares, some with bikes and some not. 3: Close up of one square. It shows a motorcycle. 4: Emily has a relaxed look on her face. "Well, THAT'S not a bicycle. That's a MOTORCYCLE." 5. Laptop says: "Please select all matching images." Emily: "Seriously?!!" 6: The motorcycle is select, and the "verify" button is clicked. Success. 7: Emily stares at her laptop with a look of consternation. 8: Emily: "It was a MOTORCYCLE."
A white page with 4 speech bubbles, two on the left side and two on the right side, representing two people in conversation. They are dark blue outlines with dark blue text. "Did you see that Elon Musk went to Auschwitz?! What a farce! He's an antisemitic Fascist!" "Ugh, seriously! There's NO WAY he gives a s--- about the injustice of millions of innocent Jews being murdered." "Exactly. It's like when he went to Israel to prove he isn't antisemitic, and a genocide is literally happening!!" "Maybe next time he can visit Jews who have actually learned the right lessons from the Holocaust."
3 Panel comic. Panel 1: Emily arrives at the doorway of a woman. Emily: "Hi, I'm here to meet Hank, you need an occasional pet sitter for him?" Woman: "Yup! He's out back." Panel 2: Emily follows the woman through the house. E: "It says in his profile he's 'Hose-Trained?' I'm guessing you mean 'HOUSE-trained...'" W: Right this way. Panel 3: Emily and the woman look out from the distance, into the back yard of the house. A big dog with floppy ears wagging its tail carries a running hose in its mouth, watering flowers. E: "...I guess NOT." Woman: Good boy, Hank!"
black and white single panel comic. Colonial settlers are throwing boxes of Royal tea off of a ship. One guy says: "Do you really think LOOTING is an effective way to get our point across?"
Title: "Corporate Closet." "Closet" is in rainbow letters. An array of clothes for sale. Long sleeve shirt with a rainbow on it that says: "Rainbows are pretty!" ...don't read too much into that" A pair of socks with a thin rainbow hem at the top, and "Here and Queer" in bright rainbow letters on the foot part. Then a guy wearing them, but the shoes cover up the words. Spaghetti strap shirt with writing so fancy and cursive to be virtually illegible. It says "Queer Pride" with random blotches of color. Long sleeve shirt that says: "Bicurious when drunk." Tank top that says "I am a: [check box] 1. Boy [check box] 2. Girl [check box] 3. see 1 or 2." It is in the Trans rights colors. A hoodie with "PRIDE" in rainbow letters at the upper back of the shirt. A guy wearing it shows that the hood covers the letters unless it's up over the head. T-shirt with the words "Non-threatening gay" in beige. T-shirt with a closet door and a rainbow-colored broom leaning against it. Final panel: Me and a friend shopping in "Darts" department store. Friend: "This one just says 'I heart my homosexual lifestyle.'" Me: "Geez, let's just go to the Hawai'ian shirt rack."
6 panel comic. 1. Emily is walking outside when she notices a flyer on a pole. 2. The flyer is for Ladybug Hauling - Two Chicks, One Truck. Gay & Strong. There are phone number slips at the bottom of it. 3. "Gay & Strong? Is that... the names of the owners? A description of them? Both??" 4: Emily leans in close, squinting. "Hmm..." 5. the email address, "ladybughaul@webmail.co," slowly dissolves to show only the letters "U-Haul." 6. "Ah HAH!!!" Emily says, suddenly understanding.
A comic in black and white, with rainbow accents. It's a wide shot in a big store not unlike Target, with shirts, flags, accessories, and packaged food sporting various LGBTQ+ Pride colors and slogans. Every person walking through has a different response. Pissed off young tattooed woman: "Corporate hypocrites. They fired a trans woman last year for speaking out about harassment." Young college kids: "[gasp] Is that a non-binary scarf?? Oh my god, back home you'd never see this kind of stuff in like, a mainstream store!" "I know they're just trying to take our money, but you gotta get it!" Guy wearing a button down shirt and slacks: "Well... this at least proves that businesses see our acceptance as good for their bottom line." Two chuds mocking the merchandise: "Check it out, Tr---y beer! Doesn't your dad drink that brand?" "Oh, ha ha, yup." The second guy has a sheepish look and thinks: "Even if Dad won't accept me, his BEER is on my side." A Mom who looks like a Karen: "You can't go anywhere without seeing this propaganda! Let's go to Chick-Fil-A." Her young kid thinks: "All these rainbows... I"m not so alone after all, am I."
A black and white graphite digital drawing of a white man in a heavy, fur-lined trench coat and military cap. He wears a Nazi "Jude" star of david badge, and a white armband that says "KAPO" with a star of david at the far edge. He is smiling, with deadened hollow eyes that crinkle at the corners. This man's joy can only come from malevolence. -- "Kapo" is a term that's been thrown around far too loosely at Jews who don't tow the right wing line regarding Israel and Zionism, but I think it fits perfectly with Stephen Miller's actions. Kapos were afforded privileges other prisoners lacked. This sketch was made using a historical photo as reference: note the fur-lined winter coat. However, in return they were expected to carry out the orders of the Nazis upon their own people. While some kapos were up against their own consciences and wills to survive, many had no qualms carrying out their tasks. A buddy of mine on Bluesky noted (paraphrasing) "Miller would relish the position. He would ingratiate himself with the Germans, carrying the opinion that he was above the rest of the jews around him. He would've been made block captain the first week after arriving." And I agree. While many conservative Jews in Trump's orbit are there on some kind of principle ("good for business" or "helping Israel"), Miller is cruel because he relishes his cruelty. In fact I don't think I've heard him talk much about Israel at all, but he's said a lot about the "criminal invasion at the border." He ingratiates himself with the concerns of white supremacy, almost as though he's ashamed of being seen as Jewish at all.
A colorful drawing of 3 pokemon. First is a "Nidoran♀", the female form, which is a small lavender pokemon, second is a Nidoran♂, the male form, which is more of a bright purple pokemon, and the last one is the "NidoTrans⚧" pokemon, a transgender form, which combines the first two colors in a mottled pattern.
A rectangle with the stripes of the Progress Pride flag - white, pink, light blue, brown, black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Drawn in lighter lines are all of the Eevee pokemon evolutions that correspond to each color. Below it is the phrase "Evolve your true self" in those same colors. the E, V, O, and L in "evolve" are backwards and in red, as in, "LOVE." It is in the Gameboy game font, with the Pokemon border from the game around it.