·April 28, 2019

Athletes by Tom Kneller

Tom Kneller is an artist and photographer from New York City. This project focuses on young athletes representing Israel on international platforms/ competitions. The position they reinforce as a representation of Israel creates a certain dichotomy between their personal identity/ story and the role they are playing into; most of the athletes are immigrants or from minority groups in Israel. However, interestingly enough, they are representing Israel.

Kneller was interested in uncovering the athlete’s personal story lying beneath the conspicuous image. The stories reveal the intricate social landscape of Israel. Kneller collaborated with the brand “Holyland civilians” – a young fashion brand, winners of the Promising Designer award 2018. We captured private moments from the sports world; a place that transcends the borders of gender, religion or nationality in favor of talent, bringing together a diverse group of people.