Oil on Canvas, 100 H x 90 W cm / 39.4 H x 35.4 W in
Created by Ofir Hirsh under the Ando identity in 2015.
Recognizing a process of a personal change I am going through, usually triggers in me an urge to invent a new identity. Through a new identity, I find it easier to adjust to the new reality, to express my excitement and concerns, and to document the specific circumstances.
In 2015, after a long period of efforts and expectation, my girlfriend and I found out that we are pregnant again. The excitement and the unique settings made this period feel like no other period in my life. As hilarious as it may sound, some men do experience pregnancy symptoms. I was very involved in each and every detail of that pregnancy. I did not vomit or suffer any pains, but I was very emotional and sensitive.
I tried to find a name or a word to describe who I was or what I went through in that period, but I couldn’t. I was anxiously waiting to meet our new baby, thinking of how our life will change, and praying every night and day that everything will go smoothly and will end up in a healthy manner. Since I often think and speak to myself in Spanish, it sounded like: Esperando – waiting, Pensando – thinking, Resando – praying. As you might have noticed, each of these “Present Participles” which are used to express continuous actions in Spanish, end with ando. In order to form Present Participles of regular verbs that end with AR, such as esperar, pensar and resar, the AR ending is dropped and ando is added to the stem of the verb. And that’s probably the best explanation I can provide about why and how I named myself Ando. Pregnancy, children, and parenthood were major themes in Ando’s work, as well as my interest back then in sustainability, agriculture, and the environment. With 36 works under this name, Ando was quite prolific and continued working until the birth of our baby girl.
