About Me
Born after the 2nd WW in a family of holocaust survivors, I grew up with gaping questions of faith and identity in a small town in the afterwar CzechoSlovakia…
Jewish, with Hungarian mother tongue caused me already as a small child to feel myself hiding my identity- being a second-rate citizen in a communist country…
In 1967, aged 20, I succeeded to get out from behind the communist iron fence. I came to Israel - at its best- immediately after the miraculous 6 Day War…
Through receiving scholarship I was able to study at the prestigious Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem- still before the advent of the computers, where I specialized in illustration.
After graduating I worked as an illustrator for major publishers in Israel; parallel to this work I made personal artwork- drawings, paintings & sculpture – which, I realized only much later, was a process of unconscious self- healing…
In 1983 I became a member of the Ein Hod Artist Village. Here I produced many drawings of the movement/ structure of the human body and chakra systems which were inspired by my work as a Yoga teacher.
Through my meeting with the teachings of Kabala I began to investigate and apply the symbolism of the kabalistic Tree of Life to the human spiritual/psycho/physical structure- thus continuing my relentless search for wholeness/holiness…
In 1995 I was commissioned by Dr Yitzhak Hayutman, the founder of the Academy of Jerusalem (whose objective is to forward a new vision of Zion), to paint his visions of the Heavenly Jerusalem. With his inspiration I painted four visionary paintings, which express thru original symbolism the age-old yearning of humanity for redemption and peace.
http://www.members.tripod.com/~TheHOPE/artgall.htm
Through this creative cooperation with Dr. Hayutman began a new period in my artwork – a conscious positive connecting to my Judaic cultural sources.
After finishing these 4 visionary paintings (it took me 4 years), I understood that now my work had to be in "Earthly Jerusalem" and I moved from the elitist artist village to the multifaceted Jerusalem– just before the outbreak of the 2nd Intifada.
Here I immediately joined the interfaith peace activity…sat for years in outdoor Peace Vigils in the Old City at a strategic spot opposite the Temple Mount, where we could dialog with people of all the creeds & nationalities. Besides other activities I participated as well in organizing the" Big Hug of Jerusalem" events.
In 2004 I created the fifth or central image in the series of the Heavenly & Earthly Jerusalem - in which I "virtually" (energy- wise) opened the controversial Golden Gate of the Jerusalem 's Old City walls– named the Golden Gate of Mercy- through which according to the myths the Messiah is supposed to come, but, alas, is for centuries walled in, and nowadays jealously guarded….
After my ambitious ascents to the visions of Heavenly Jerusalem I was pushed back- to my Roots- which until now I was dreading to touch consciously- the horrors of the Holocaust and my family's history- full of incredible hardships & suffering...& I'm still in the process of working on this subject.
Jewish, with Hungarian mother tongue caused me already as a small child to feel myself hiding my identity- being a second-rate citizen in a communist country…
In 1967, aged 20, I succeeded to get out from behind the communist iron fence. I came to Israel - at its best- immediately after the miraculous 6 Day War…
Through receiving scholarship I was able to study at the prestigious Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem- still before the advent of the computers, where I specialized in illustration.
After graduating I worked as an illustrator for major publishers in Israel; parallel to this work I made personal artwork- drawings, paintings & sculpture – which, I realized only much later, was a process of unconscious self- healing…
In 1983 I became a member of the Ein Hod Artist Village. Here I produced many drawings of the movement/ structure of the human body and chakra systems which were inspired by my work as a Yoga teacher.
Through my meeting with the teachings of Kabala I began to investigate and apply the symbolism of the kabalistic Tree of Life to the human spiritual/psycho/physical structure- thus continuing my relentless search for wholeness/holiness…
In 1995 I was commissioned by Dr Yitzhak Hayutman, the founder of the Academy of Jerusalem (whose objective is to forward a new vision of Zion), to paint his visions of the Heavenly Jerusalem. With his inspiration I painted four visionary paintings, which express thru original symbolism the age-old yearning of humanity for redemption and peace.
http://www.members.tripod.com/~TheHOPE/artgall.htm
Through this creative cooperation with Dr. Hayutman began a new period in my artwork – a conscious positive connecting to my Judaic cultural sources.
After finishing these 4 visionary paintings (it took me 4 years), I understood that now my work had to be in "Earthly Jerusalem" and I moved from the elitist artist village to the multifaceted Jerusalem– just before the outbreak of the 2nd Intifada.
Here I immediately joined the interfaith peace activity…sat for years in outdoor Peace Vigils in the Old City at a strategic spot opposite the Temple Mount, where we could dialog with people of all the creeds & nationalities. Besides other activities I participated as well in organizing the" Big Hug of Jerusalem" events.
In 2004 I created the fifth or central image in the series of the Heavenly & Earthly Jerusalem - in which I "virtually" (energy- wise) opened the controversial Golden Gate of the Jerusalem 's Old City walls– named the Golden Gate of Mercy- through which according to the myths the Messiah is supposed to come, but, alas, is for centuries walled in, and nowadays jealously guarded….
After my ambitious ascents to the visions of Heavenly Jerusalem I was pushed back- to my Roots- which until now I was dreading to touch consciously- the horrors of the Holocaust and my family's history- full of incredible hardships & suffering...& I'm still in the process of working on this subject.
Lately, among others I worked on illustrations for Children& Grandmothers books- published recently in Israel.
Group exhibitions
1984 -1999 - Artist's gallery in Ein Hod, Israel
2005 - The Rescuers" conference, -The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Group exhibitions
1984 -1999 - Artist's gallery in Ein Hod, Israel
2005 - The Rescuers" conference, -The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Individual exhibitions
1998 - "Heavenly Jerusalem", Artist's Gallery Ein Hod, Israel
2004 - "Heavenly & Earthly Jerusalem" - Kumkum Gallery, Jerusalem
2005 - "Roots", Sen Development, Prague, Czech Republic
2006 - "Heritage Gate" - The House of Quality, Jerusalem
2009 - retrospective exhibition, Muzeum Detske Kresby, Prague
2010 - "Join", Retrospective exhibition, Terezin Ghetto Museum, Terezinstadt, Czech republic
2010 - "Earthly Jerusalem", The Old Synagouge in Plzen, Czech Republic