Yeshiva University Museum

Samson Schames, a Jewish artist forced to flee Nazi Germany, found an extraordinary visual language in exile—creating vivid mosaics out of rubble gathered from the bombed streets of London. These haunting works express the devastation and uncertainty of war and survive as early examples of “detritus art”—artworks made from materials typically considered waste or scraps.

Through an exploration of Schames’ life in his native Frankfurt am Main and his exiles in London and New York, Lost and Found traces the development and resilience of an artist across time, space, and historical ruptures. Combining works from multiple institutions and private collections on both sides of the Atlantic, it is the first comprehensive presentation of Schames’ works in the US.

Created and presented by the Leo Baeck Institute – New York | Berlin
Co-sponsored by Yeshiva University Museum