Joy Bernard
Joy Bernard (b. 1996) is a multidisciplinary artist creating in performance, dance theater, writing and video, a dancer, a journalist and art critic. Joy teaches performance and creative writing workshops in Tel Aviv, where she lives and creates.
Joy’s works correspond with the field of psychoanalysis. Her creations grapple with themes such as the philosophy of language, immigration, identity, sexuality and the processing of trauma. By creating movement-based works for stage and for the camera that combine autobiography and fiction, she attempts to test the connection between written language, spoken language and the language of the body; thus, she forges a meeting point between semantic and physical mechanisms and the subconscious. Joy has been invited to present her work in various galleries and exhibition spaces in Israel, among which are: Poalot Festival, Alfred Institute for Culture and Art; The Artists’ Studios; Inga Gallery; Beit Kandinof; Lotan Gallery.
Joy writes poetry and essays. As a journalist, she served as news desk director for the English edition of Israeli daily Haaretz (2017-2020). Presently she is an independent reporter specializing in visual arts, dance and performance. Her writing in English and in Hebrew is regularly published by multiple publications, including the literary magazine Granta; Haaretz; The Jerusalem Post; Flash Art; Collectors Agenda; The Art Newspaper; Times of Israel and TimeOut. Joy is an art and dance reporter for Israeli online magazine Portfolio, where she publishes a column titled “Studio Visits.”
Joy is a graduate of the Full Program at the dance and movement school Hakvutza (where she learned ballet, contemporary dance, improvisation, contact and choreography). She studied acting and improvisation at Maya Behar Studio, and is currently pursuing a B.A. in Art History and Performance Studies at Tel Aviv University.
