Tree of Life: Four Perspectives explores the enduring symbolism of the Tree of Life and the interconnectedness of the natural, human and spiritual realms within Jewish thought and culture. Across Jewish tradition, trees carry layers of meaning, from regeneration and ancestry to knowledge, divine creation and our relationship with the natural world.

At the centre of the exhibition is the 2026 Eva and Marc Besen Contemporary Artist Commission, presenting It is a Tree of Life, a new sculptural work by award-winning artist Joel Adler. Installed in the Museum’s forecourt, the work draws on the Tree of Life within Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah, reimagining this ancient symbol through a contemporary lens. Mirrored forms appear suspended against the sky, while from another perspective the structure reveals itself as firmly rooted to the ground.

In the Krongold Gallery, works by artists Tunni Kraus, Amichai Lankri and Jonathan Tversky offer three further perspectives, exploring connections between ancestry, nature, spirituality and Jewish tradition.

Drawing on the structure of a traditional Kabbalistic Ilan, Kraus transforms the extensively researched family tree of community genealogist and historian Liz James into an intricate visual exploration of generations, histories and connections.

Tversky turns his lens to the Australian landscape, revealing unexpected colours, textures and abstract forms in the shedding bark of eucalyptus trees.

Lankri brings a further material dimension to the exhibition through his dialogue between the natural world, craftsmanship and Jewish tradition.

Bringing together four distinct artistic practices, Tree of Life: Four Perspectives reflects on our roots, the connections that shape us, and the ways knowledge, memory and tradition continue to grow across generations.