Cultural Gem Photography

Cultural Gem Photography is the portrait photography studio of visual artist Cathrielah B. Israel, a lifelong resident of the Village of Peace in Dimona, Negev. Cathrielah is on a mission to unveil the special gifts, inner essence, beauty and soul of her subjects — the spirit the Creator blessed them with.

Delving deep into what inspires her most, she creates images of what ancient royalty could have looked like: vibrant visualisations of people adorned in colourful, regal garments, emanating modesty and natural beauty. No make-up artists are used — only what she calls 'cultural wardrobe stylists'. The people in her images are not professional models but people she has known for years.

Her images are infused with the diverse topography of Israel, the Holy Land. Cathrielah grew up in Dimona and currently resides in the Village of Peace, the urban kibbutz where the African Hebrew Israelite community has lived since 1970. A native Chicagoan, her family left America in 1967, first settled in Liberia, West Africa, before immigrating to Israel. Her work has been featured in publications worldwide and serves as a vital visual archive of community history and cultural identity.