Concentration Camp Survivor Exhibits Art

Joe Rose, a German-born Jew who survived Nazi concentration camps and went on to become an internationally recognized artist, is exhibiting his work in an art show opening today at Temple Beth Am.

The show will be open through Nov. 3 at the temple, 1039 La Cienega Blvd., and then will go on a nationwide tour.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is his “Hebrew Alphabet,” a series of surrealistic depictions of the Hebrew letters from aleph to tav. Most of the additional 28 works deal with non-Judaic themes, including portraits of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Rose’s subject matter ranges from the erotic to the occult, from Jewish mysticism to English politics. He once painted a portrait of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in a coat of armor--his rendering of “the Iron Lady,” as Thatcher is sometimes called.

Rose, 73, a naturalized British citizen who lives in London, has received the British Empire Medal for Services to the Arts. His work has been exhibited in Australia, France, Israel and Great Britain.

For more information, call (213) 652-7353.