Four months after the Bondi Beach terror attack that killed 15 people during a Chanukah celebration, a major exhibition titled 'Holding Light' has opened at Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery. Curated by Shalom Collective and supported by Waverley Council, the show brings together 29 artists and 28 works selected through a community call-out, spanning visual art, installation, and digital media. Artists including Ella Dreyfus, Munganbana Norman Miller, Beck Feiner, Bibi Solimani, and David Solomons respond to themes of loss, memory, courage, and hope, with works such as Dreyfus's 'Nature Morte – Zikaron' documenting the spontaneous memorial near the beachfront.
The exhibition matters because it transforms collective grief into a shared act of reflection and healing, positioning art as a communal language for processing trauma beyond words. By involving a broad community response and featuring diverse perspectives—including Aboriginal artist Munganbana Norman Miller's tribute to the victims—'Holding Light' demonstrates how visual art can foster solidarity, mourning, and pathways toward recovery in the aftermath of a devastating public tragedy.