Impressed and Writes – Stephanie Cohen, An Artist In Colour And Motion – World Explorer
Stephanie, my dearest beloved and most amazing, caring, brave and gracious wife. A real lady, a pure and unique soul. A gifted painter and photographer, a courageous adventurer and world explorer.
We lived inseparably for more than 47 years in a wonderful and loving relationship.
Although we faced difficulties and hardships, our relationship and love grew stronger.
This website was created in her memory to serve as a virtual memorial that will describe, through various media, her qualities and personality to all the people she loved, those who loved her, and those who cherish her memory, so that they can get to know her better. It also documents our wonderful and unique experiences we had together on our travels worldwide.
“Stephanie was my life. From the moment she is no longer with me, my life, now, is a pale shadow of my former life”. Ami
I chose to begin by quoting from Ami Cohen, Stephanie’s husband, his words about his wife, his loved one, who passed away in 2024, aged 71.
It’s important to emphasise that all I know about Stephanie Cohen, I was told by her husband, Ami Cohen, orally and in writing. In his way and his love for Stephanie. His stories, a tale enters another, from one experience to
another, making sure that I will not forget another experience, another desired moment of Stephanie. Aware of the wonderful privilege of this woman and mourning her passing.
On the website, I found numerous articles in Hebrew about her. I will mention some of them: The Nature of Things Magazine, and many internet portals, to name but a few: SNN (Space Network News), Tel Aviv “Mekomonet”, Scooper, “Midor Ledor” magazine, “Bekivun Haruah” (In the wind Direction) and more.
The exhibition “World Explorer” is the second in a trilogy of photography exhibitions showcasing her travels around the world. The third exhibition is on its way…
Unlike a passing tourist, Stephanie was present. She was not merely content with seeing breathtaking landscapes or famous sites; she sought what was beyond it, the face, the gaze, the story on the roadside.
Photography for her was a silent conversation; she knew how to listen through the gaze, feel the pulse of the place, and create a safe space where the person in front of her could simply be. This simplicity, this honesty, is what makes her photographs so touching.
Her photographs in this exhibition focus on the characters she met: Women, men, children and the elderly from all corners of the world. From the Andes to markets in Africa, from remote villages in Asia to alleys in European cities. For her, each photograph is a moment of connection, of human recognition that transcends language, religion, gender, or borders. Her works show the cultural sensitivity, modesty, and respect with which she approached each person she photographed. She looked, listened, and touched.
In a world saturated with images, it seems easy to capture a photo, but it is really difficult to see it. Stephanie saw.
Stephanie and Ami’s desire to travel the world grew gradually, as did Stephanie’s photography hobby. At the beginning, towards the end of the 1970’s they visited Stephanie’s family in England and carried on traveling across the British Isles. Over the years, their daring and experience grew, and they began to travel to more distant and exotic destinations such as North America at first and later Africa, Australia, and other continents. For many years, even before the digital age, Stephanie was the main photographer. She could scan the environment and identify situations, people, and animals that most people would miss. She knew how to photograph inanimate objects such as rocks, trees, and plants, while combining them, and the resulting image was a kind of wonderful painting of nature.
She did not shy away from shooting even burning bodies in India, mummies in open graves in Peru, Munk skulls in churches and cathedrals, life in abject poverty in villages in India, Cambodia, South Africa, and more. In addition, she had sympathy and respect for the Indigenous natives in different countries and respect and a strong desire to understand their customs and religions.
Stephanie also possessed a rare combination of courage and composure. Despite certain physical limitations (such as seasickness and, sometimes, during plane flights, sensitivity to noise and pollution), when the need arose, she focused, and her internal peace helped her overcome such situations, thus managing to overcome the natural fear of traveling to “challenging” places.
They traveled the world, among continents, between 1978 and 2018. Every trip was thoroughly researched, with a local guide, and sleeping in lodges.
They had many more plans to visit other countries, but Stephanie’s illness stopped these plans.
As a habit, I choose to delve into one specific subject, and in doing so, I also expand my knowledge.
During my talk with Ami Cohen, he mentioned their trip to Cambodia, which drew my attention as they met with a survivor from the murderous Khmer Rouge regime (see photo). This regime committed a self-genocide in which about 2 million Cambodian people perished from killing, starvation, or illnesses – a fifth of the country’s population.
There were moments when I felt that Stephanie was sitting near me, participating in the conversation. I had many questions to ask her.
On my way home, after I met with Ami, I was wondering about the special and unique bond that these two had. I was thinking about Stephanie’s way, who became a courageous and very curious partner about her man and his infinite love for her. And then I asked her man, Ami, who that woman was with him, who that woman was without her photos.
I will quote some of his answers:
She liked Teddy Bears, loved the British Royal Family, loved orange blossom, specialized in many things, helped many people, volunteered a lot, read many books, loved to dance, didn’t complain even when she was ill, loved Elvis Presley…
Furthermore, she loved to buy ethnic artifacts, loved to buy decorative elephants in every size, colour, and material imaginable. There are 82 of them in our flat.
So humane, wonderful.
This is his special woman – Stephanie Cohen
Exhibition ends September 4th
Visiting hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:00-17:00