Baseman Honors His Mom Naomi

Happy Mother’s Day!

Naomi Baseman was born in Kostopol, Poland in 1921, and survived the Holocaust, emigrating to the United States (via Canada) to settle with her family in Los Angeles, California. Always supportive of her son Gary’s art, Naomi attended her son’s exhibition openings, donned on Enlightened Chou masks for photos, and made the tastiest potato latkes and best home-made gefilte (fish dish). 

Baseman’s association with the famous LA legacy Canter’s Deli and Restaurant began with his mother, who worked for over 30 years at the bakery counter. The artist’s drawings show his distinctive method of mixing real memories of family with some fiction that includes his most affectionate characters (Toby and ChouChou).

As the viewer can appreciate in his prolific art production, imagery by Baseman is often inspired by his Jewish heritage and family memories, growing up surrounded by loving and supporting parents that encouraged his artistic interests. Who could make a more perfect model or a more deserving source of inspiration?