50 | DECEMBER 8 • 2022 

Y

evgeniya Gazman, founder and 
creator of YGazmArt, fills each 
aspect of her life with intentionality. 
You can find her at her favorite hometown 
Farmington haunts: practicing a vinyasa 
flow at Bodhi Yoga, sipping on a latte 
at Apothecary Espresso and Coffee, or 
collaborating with other creatives at Skep 
Space, a new artist incubator, where she was 
commissioned to paint the entrance door 
with one of her signature hamsa designs. 
Gazman, 41, was born in the former 
Soviet Union and came to the United 
States with her family as a refugee at age 
9. She said she owes her foundations in 
this country to the generosity of the Jewish 
community of Metro Detroit. It embraced 
her family and allowed her to attend Hillel 
Day School and Tamarack Camps where 
she was not only immersed in Jewish 
communal life but the vital skill of learning 
English. 
Now, the artist and 
activist wishes to give 
back with her business 
by combining art 
with philanthropy. 
Grounded in the motto 
“Good Through Art 
Together,” Gazman 
launched YGazm as 
a company in the 
spring of 2022. She 
has allied with several 
nonprofit organizations 
to whom she donates 
portions of sales of her 
merchandised products 
from yoga pants to 
metal water bottles to 
tote bags. 
“I have been thinking 
of launching a business 

for 
a while 
now, but this spring it 
all came together,” said Gazman, 
who has been candid with her battles with 
bipolar disorder. “I choose causes that 
align with my values, and I want YGazm 
to become the successful financial means 
to invest in the organizations that I care so 
much about. It has been a 20-year journey 
for me to get to where I am now.” 
This summer, she launched her Hamsa 
Project in a flurry of emotions following 
the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision 
to overturn Roe v. Wade. Gazman said she 
has been transfixed on the hamsa, a symbol 
of God’s protection and love — ever since 
2013 when she took Torah classes at the 
newly established Chabad 
of Greater Downtown 
Detroit. 
Rifling through her box 
of paints, she chose red 
to reflect her anger. As a 
follow up, she continued 
the series in blue and 
green. The originals are on 
display for sale at Berkley 
Coffee. Half of the sales 
of merchandise such as 
metal water bottles, tote 
bags, mugs and museum-
quality poster reprints 
— all priced at $40 — are 
donated to Michigan 
Reproductive Freedom 
for All (red), The Anti-
Defamation League (blue) 
and the environmental 

GIFT GUIDE

Yevgeniya Gazman combines 
art with philanthropy.

Art 
Together

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Yevgeniya 
Gazman with 
her hamsa 
collection at 
Berkley Coffee.

Her blue-all-
over hamsa 
tote

LEFT: A water bottle from Gazman’s 
collection. RIGHT: A blue hamsa 
stainless steel water bottle. 

