Seemingly simple and banal everyday objects, when seen through a camera lens, sometime, reveal their hidden aesthetics and beauty.
The fact that the object seen is not entirely sharp, does not detract from its beauty. On the contrary, it adds an extra dimension/
The ability to see beauty in simple objects is a rewarding experience.

Efraim Fogel

Two years ago I moved to a Kibbutz in the north of Israel. Nature and trees surrounded me and I painted what I saw. To my surprise I couldn’t bring up the quiet and unrelenting pulse of life I felt gave trees their strength.

So I painted all the different trees I encountered until I felt I had reached the depth of their hidden inner structure.

The path I chose led me to discover Israel’s wonderful variety of landscapes and plants.

From the powerful green trees of the north I gradually went south and put on canvas my impressions of the Hola Valley, The shores of the Jordan River Valley, until I reached the desert in Mitzpeh Ramon from where my most recent paintings are closing this exhibition.

Short Resume

Studies
Plastic art at "Thelma Yellin" high school
Avni Institute Tel Aviv
Drawing courses Tel-Hai College

Exhibitions
1997 Solo exhibition Kiriat Shmone Culture Hall
1998 Group exhibition of Neve Ativ artists
2002 Solo exhibition Kibutz Sdot Yam
2004 Solo exhibition Picasso Gallery Castra Center Haifa
2004 Solo exhibition Gerard Behar Hall Jerusalem
2004 Solo exhibition "succa Bamidbar" Mitzpe Ramon
2004 Solo exhibition Tova Osman Tel Aviv

(Ann Rakower)

Facets of time, facets of mankind, facets of objects, facets of life, different kinds of truth that make the whole.The never-ending search to understand the essence of existence.Fusion between the man and his space colored by beliefs, sensations and life. Vibrations, movements and energies that appear and disappear in the human landscape, the continuous metamorphoses that make me marvel at life. Colors and lines, times, figurative, other symbolic forms or abstract ones are my medium to express those facets that live in simultaneous symbiosis in front of my eyes, and each cell, sometimes independent and sometimes connected, building up the unity and the whole. Like a flash of light touching the prism and revealing to us its infinite colors, we are prisms as well.

Eric (born in London in 1942) has for many years worked in varied occupations: farming and dentistry for his livelihood and archeology and art for his personal fulfillment.

His art expresses the synthesis of his multifaceted career:
- as a student in England, Eric subsidized his studies by drawing caricatures for environmental and third world journals, issues that sharpened his ability to express an unorthodox view of the known and familiar;
- his knowledge of anatomy enables him to bring out the reality of forms in his subjects;
- his archeological education and work reflect his desire to know and understand the link between past and present, science and mystery;
- his farming experience has enriched his understanding of nature –its rhythm and diversity- which he expresses so richly in his canvases;

His life provides him with a creative space expressed between matter and spirit, past and present. Following a long maturation, Eric has chosen to use his art to interpreter his world and the core of his life has shifted from agriculture, history and medicine to a world of light and color.

In the past few years, Eric has also worked in the field of preservation of historical buildings and has helped create an educational centre in the lower Galilee (Ilaniya/Sejera).

Yagudaev Alexander was born in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) in 1980.
He studied in the art school, during his studies in the school, he participated in his exhibitions.
When he was a child, he was sculpturing in plasticine. Creative atmosphere in the family influenced the artist development. His mother sculptured in plasticine and clay. His father Abram Yagudaev, the honored artist of Uzbekistan, was real teacher. Alexander studied the art of sculpture from his father until the age of 22.
Alexander repatriated to Israel in 1998.
His works in a free style. His sculpture characterized by gentle lines and accurate figures. Every sculpture bears of cordiality, love, pain of loss.
Some times, like in the sculptures “Dream”, “Monster”, “Beautiful woman”, are autobiographic.
Reach fantasy, accompanied by emotional mood, impart the unique charm to his works.
The sculptor has created 26 bronze sculptures to the present day.

For Betty Rubinstein painting is a way of life.
Living near Haifa for more than thirty years, being a wife of a Captain sailing with him or waiting for his return have all had a tremendous effect on her, and the sea and nature are deeply reflected in her painting.
For Betty the challenge is to catch the ever-changing moods, the spectrum of nature with its diversity of subject, and the presents of something beautiful that only God can create. “All these things lend to the atmosphere that surrounds us as we walk down the paths of life”. She tried to capture one fleeting moment with a spontaneous splash of color and a direction of line.
Betty relates to painting as internal process, like going on a journey or Embarking on adventure. Afterward comes the focus and the connections to emotions and intuition.
Behind supreme control of various techniques as drawing, watercolors, photography and acrylic are long years of practice at College “ Oranim” and “Haifa University” where she made her studies and graduated for B.A. in Art.
Betty`s works are mainly related to Expressionism, being greatly influenced by such great artists as: Van Gogh, Matisse, Cezanne and undoubtedly Vassily Kandinsky

A natural talent for expression through art was part of Moshe Vazana’s world from early childhood and during his years of education at the Alliance Francaise School in Tangiers. After immigrating to Israel in 1956 he made his home in Mitzpeh Ramon and there the stark beauty of the desert landscapes drew him back to brushes and canvas. It was there Moshe’s natural talent for painting did not go unrecognized and he exhibited his work in exhibitions on numerous occasions with the Negev Painters in the Museum of the Negev, Beersheba. In 1966 Haifa Museum purchased one of his paintings at a successful one man show there. He also was selected to exhibit with young Israeli artists in Helena Rubinstein Pavilion, Tel-Aviv in the mid-sixties.
However the pull of the world of art was overshadowed by family requirements and in 1967 he took the road into the world of oil – but not on canvas this time – when he went to work in the oil fields of Abu Rudeis. As he progressed in his new profession he still turned to painting when he could and a social meeting with the First Secretary for Canada led to an exhibition in Mr. and Mrs. Pederson’s home in Kfar Shmariyahu in 1973. In 1977 Moshe was invited to have a showing of his work in the Raizel Cultural Center, Kfar Saba - his home from 1973. But 1979 saw his last showing when he took part in Israel’s thirty year and Kfar Saba’s seventy fifth anniversary exhibition in Yad LeBanim, Kfar Saba.
In 1979 Israel withdrew entirely from Sinai and work in the Oil Fields ceased so Moshe had to turn his sights to faraway places and an offer from Shell Expro, U.K. took him to the chilly North Sea. During those years of exile he always had a studio in his home and found time to turn to painting as an escape from the responsibilities of his job. His efforts took him to the position of Offshore Installation Manager in the Brent Field. Sea, stone and landscape continued to be his passion and the years in Scotland introduced a new perspective into his work.
Retirement brought him back to Israel full time in 2000 with a collection of his works from the years in Scotland to which he has added new impressions of Israel. Moshe’s exhibition "Returning Home" will be on show for a fortnight in the Picasso Room at the Castra Mall, Haifa 08 – 22 April. The official opening is at 11.30 on 10th April.

Leon Zakrajsek, born 26-th March 1962 in Ljubljana, attended the School for design between 1977 and 1981. In the years between 1982 and 1986 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana and then he continued to deepen his knowledge and skills at the Centre Internacional de Rececrca Grafica-Calella in Spain in 1988.
Between 1997 and 1998 he also received a grant from the Japanese government to study at the Tama Art University in Tokyo as well as in Hanga Kobo-Seya private ateliers for graphic print, where his mentor was Harumi Sonoyama and other master wood engravers: Fumio Kitaoka, Yuki Rei and Seiko Kawachi,.
Apart from creating he also occupies himself with the preparation of art projects and exhibitions. In 1993 he organised the 1st International exhibition of small graphic prints in Slovenia (Mini Print Slovenia) which was held in Maribor and in 1996 he, in co-operation with the Japan Print Association (JPA), organised an exhibition of 100 Japanese graphic artists, members of JPA, in Škofja Loka. In the same year he established the Kobe Art Aid Project with the idea to donate works of Slovene artists to the victims of the Kobe earthquake. He managed to collect 76 works of art by 51 Slovene artists and he also gained co-operation and support from the Japan Print Association, and the project obtained a new name “Hanshin-Awaji Art Aid Slovenian Donation by Leon Zakrajsek”. In January 1998, on the day of the anniversary of the earthquake he, together with the Japan Print Association, organised an exhibition in the Pias Gallery in Osaka.
In March 1999 he was invited by the organisers to visit Cremona and co-operate at the international exhibition of graphic print. He was also chosen for a member of the expert Scientific Committee and a selector of works of Slovene, Japanese and Taiwanese artists for the international graphic print exhibition in 2001.
In year 2002 in May organize in Ljubljana exhibition and demonstration of Japanese wood block printing technique of Japanese Art Group HAN17 same year Foregin Ministry of Republic of Slovenija organize a show of works of Leon Zakrajsek in honour of Her Rojal Majesty Princes Sayako from Japan during her visit to Slovenija.
In year 2002 was selected again for member of Scientific Comittee and selector of artists from Slovenija, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Japan and in year 2003 for member of Scientific Comittee and selector for artists from Slovenija, Israel, Japan, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Serbia.
He has taken part in over 150 exhibitions in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, USA and Yugoslavia. His works can be found in public and private collections in Australia, Asia, Europe and USA. He has received numerous awards and recognitions at home and abroad. Since 1987 he is a member of the Slovene Fine Artists Association and in 1998 he became a member of the Kamakura Print Collection and since 2003 chairman of printmaking bord in the Slovene Fine Artists Association and Honorary member of Tokyo Printmaking Association HAN 17 .

Daniela Shabtai was born in israel in 1949 in the "kibbuts" Kfar Ruppin.
After leaving the "kibbutz", she was raised in Haifa.
Even at her youth Daniela was drawn to the art world and started her first steps at drawing on pottery, making bead jewelry and studying fashion design.
The marriage and the birth of her children made her focus on her family life.
Her husband’s death, in 1979, and raising her two children as a single parent, renewed her involvement in the art world.
Daniela started her new road in art by writing poetry and publishing a poetry book in the memory of her deceased husband. Later on, always accompanied by the love of art, Daniela carved her way to sculpture.
The sculpture filled the sudden vacuum that appeared in her life without any warning.
The hard and physical work on the sculptures, gives freedom and expression to Daniela’s endless contemplations and her hidden most restrained feelings. The sculpting fills Daniela with satisfaction, as if each created sculpture is a new birth that brings with it a new air to breathe.

Ya’akov Ne’eman was born in Transylvania in 1908. He passed away in Haifa in 1995.
He came to Israel in 1935, and worked as a sign painter. At the age of 70 he took up the art of traditional paper cutting.
He created about 600 different designs.
Jewish paper cutting has been traced back to medieval times’ it flourished in the 18-19 centuries in many jewish communities all over the world. The art which was practiced by men, boys and Cheder student’ almost vanished at the begging of the 20 th century.
Ya’akov became one of the few who started to revive the art of Tradional Jewish paper cuts in 1978. He used un his work tradional Jewish symbols, verses from the Bible, prayers and Pirkey Avoth.
Mr.. Ne’eman’s paper cuts have been displayed throughout Israel’ The U.S.A. and Paris. His works have been acquired by many collectors all over the world and leading museums, including The Jewish Museum in N.Y., The Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., The Skirball Museum in L.A. The wolfson Museum and Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
The art of paper cutting is carried on by his daughter in law, Zipora Ne’eman , who devotes all her time to teaching and reviving the art of tradional jewish paper cuts. Zipora is giving workshops all over Israel and recently gave workshops in The U.S.A.
Zipora’s main goal is to revive the beautiful art of traditional paper cutting and as she says "Everybody can do it"
If you like to join the circle of tradional paper cutters get in touch with:
Zipora Ne’eman
tel/fax 04-8121036
cell: 052-257676
email: zipora_n@hotmail.com

This is an unconventional exhibition in which subtle links between poetry an painting are suggested. It’s a story of echos. You may read a poem as an echo to a painting. You may look at a painting through a poem. Poems can not be materialized in colors, paintings can not be materialized in words unless their ultimate ‘material’ is poetic. A deep underground imaginary fluid passes from poem to picture, from picture to poem, joining Igor Kaplonovitch’s paintings and poems written by Bluma Finkelstein and Marlena Braester.

Views, impression and landscapes from traveling in Europe, the Greece Islands and Israel views.

The paintings, oil on canvas in different sizes, meant to transfer to the viewers personal impressions, landscapes and fantasies in colors from different places, on a first single show.

Born in Haifa, after schools, painting studying with Israeli artists during school, childhood in the Carmel mountains, when nature, traveling and arts practice were always there. Army service around the country, on top of Ramallah mountains and in kibbutz Magal.

Working in different temporary jobs, studying in Haifa university. Having a regular job for a few years and raising a son at home in Haifa, within this time staying in another kibbutz on the northern mountains of Israel. Also traveling around Israel and in several European countries, in the Greece Islands and back to Haifa.

Participating in several group shows in the past. The last 5 years were dedicated to a collection of views, impressions and fantasies, which are presented at this show.

Mira Keren has lived almost all her life amidst the magical landscape of the Galilee. At an early age Mira started to express her love of the outdoors in oil, acrylic and watercolors (aquarelle).

In this way, the artist presents creations that are influenced by nature; new growth and life in the rocks and boulders. Frequently, one can see the uniqueness of her work by the images and figures that spring out of the living tree trunks and that emphasize the human soul reflected in nature. In the paintings of stones, rocks and boulders, it is possible to feel the strength which Mira transfers so eloquently to the canvas.

In different periods of her life she has presented various interpretations of the colors she perceives in nature. Through her sensitive paintings Mira brings the viewer the atmosphere of her beloved Galilee.

I feel from the beauty that surrounds us; a spectacular sunset; the healing calm of the sea; the awe that a flower, tree, sunlight evokes; to invite, if for just a moment, a sense of peace and sanity into our hectic lives

I hope you enjoy the interlude,
Rachelle Goldreich.

Yury Shteinvil was born in the town of Orenburg,Russia, in 1943.Both his parents were doctors.In 1953 the family moved to Vilnus,Lithuania,where Yury attended a college school of arts.” Later he completed a whole course of studies at the Leningrad Engineering Institute of Railroad Transportation. Neither his studies,nor his future professional activity as an engineer interfered with his painting.In fact,he has never stopped painting.It really became his lifelong passion.

Since 1990,Yury has been living and working in Israel. He is a member of Israeli Artists Union in Netanya. His works are performed in various artistic genres and techniques:drawings,graphics,tempera,but mainly,oil on canvas.Subjects explored in his works are really numerous.They are represented in landscapes,figurative and abstract painting and portraits.

The painter has participated in several personal and group exhibitions held in Israel.His works can be found in different personal collections in Israel,Russia, Germany,Czech Republic.

"... Here are some peaceful back-water creeks in Lithuania,bridges in Belgium,Czech castles, tornadoes in Canada,thunders over Netanya beaches, unusually portrayed Rome sights-alongside the brightest Spanish dancer in fluttering skirts,who seems to be jumping off the canvas.You cannot but feel surprised at the diversity of themes and paintings presented by the artist.Nevertheless.Yury Shteinvil goes on with his own discoveries in painting which brings him something new every day"( "Vesti" ,Oct.17,2002)

The main means of expressing Esther emotions and memories are expressive , almost abstract, nature and landscape scenes. This is done occasionally by using strong colors, and sometimes contrasting ones.The transition between the defined and the blurred , merge.These paintings are an attempt to express emotions that arise from the bottom of the heart such as: sadness versus hope, tranquility versus exitement, and, strenght versus weakness.
Esther was born in Hungary in 1966 and immigrated to Israel in 1974.She grew up in Jerusalem.
Graduated university in Criminology and Comparative Literature.
Since her childhood she is painting in various techniques.
Her main traid is painting. In addition she is decorating a unique line of wooden art - products and teaching art, at workshops.
Esther participated in several group exhibitions in Chagall House- Haifa.
She is a member of the Israel Painters & Sculptors association.
Married and a mother of two, lives in Gan-Ner.
Curator: Sharoni Pinhas Idit

The Galilee’s rolling vistas and clear polychromes has always charmed settlers and attracted artists. As a result , many creating artists have made their homes here.

This is a joint exhibition by 12 artists living in the Galilee , joined by the common influence of the environment in which they live and create.

Participating artists (in alphabetical order) :

Ben Berger , Aquarelle , Echo line and nature sketches .
Oded Brandt , Paintings and wood sculptures.
Mark Guberman – Abstract Paintings.
Raya Cheyne , Oils and aquarelles.
Yossi Israeli , Aquarelles and echoline.
Hilda Merom, Potter and ceramic sculptor.
Shmuel Meyuchas , Abstract Paintings.
Ayala Nir , Sculptures and paintings.
Hanna Nir Kamgushnai , Abstract Paintings.
Etti Tsachover , paintings and figurative sketches.
Miriam Stern , Sculptures and paintings.

Exhibition Curatrix : Raya Cheyne

Irena Barilev was born in St. Petersburg in 1944. She graduated in 1969, at Repin’s Architecture, Art and Sculpture Institute of the Russian Art Academy, Faculty of Art. Since then she has been a member of Artists’ Union of Russia. At 1990 Irena made an aliya to Israel.
Her creations amaze with the variety of styles, motives, the range of emotions and the deep penetration into the essence of the subject. Her perfect skill with the light and color allows her to express the deepest experiences and make the observer wonder about the power of spirit, values and beauty. Irena’s paintings were exhibited in Russia (Personal exhibition in St. Petersburg, Russian Union of Artists, 2000), Israel (St. Petersburg Artists’ exhibition, Haifa, 2003), Poland, Germany, United States. Many of her works can now be found in private collections around the world.
During the years in Israel Irena created more then 600 pieces of art, lead master-class and taught tens of students, not only passing them part of her skill but also part of her soul. One of her favorite pupils was Liz Katsman, 17, murdered at March 5th, 2003, in the terrorist attack in bus no. 37, Moria st. Haifa. For Liz Irena was more then a teacher, she was a friend who helped her to find herself on a way to adulthood. Liz wanted to be a designer, loved artistic photography, learned from Irena to see, to understand color, rhythm, composition. At the exhibition some of Elizabeth’s photography works will also be displayed.
Irena Barilev’s exhibition is happy event for all her pupils and friends, and for everyone familiar with her art. Liz, to whose memory the exhibition is dedicated, would be delighted.

The Free Association of Painters & Sculptors of Haifa and the Northern Region was established in 1956. In 1957 it was officialy registered as a non-profit organization whose aims are bringing art to every home, cooperation with art schools and institutions, organization of art exhibitions and various cultural activities. The name Free Association shows that artists belonging to any current are and have always been welcome, without any restriction. Most of the members are figurative artists, though at the time the group came to life, abstract painting was the dominant current in art. Several modern painters have joined the Associaton lately. Our Association holds several meetings a year, offers art lectures given by distinguished guests, organizes Purim and Hanuca parties. The project for this year is painting classes with qualified teachers. Two generations of artists have changed since the foundation of our Association, few of the veterans being still with us. The Asociation holds elections once a year. In the last elections Mrs. Yolanda Gilad was elected chairwoman.

Habitat – in its dictionary description, is the natural place and conditions of growth for an animal or a plant, or as Tchernechovski put it his famous verse “man is but a mold of the landscape of his homeland”.
Ever since I was a child, traveling across the country has been part of my essence. These journeys gave me a great love for nature, for scenery, for the flora and fauna, for the earth and the clouds, for the towering cliffs of the desert and the sand that lies along the sea.
We, the people of Israel are named ‘Sabra’ after the Prickly Pear that was brought over to Israel several centuries ago and acclimatized here. Like it we too are spiny, determined to grow despite difficulties, defending our backyards. Yet, we too are succulent within and we too are trying to adjust and grasp the patch of earth we live in.
The Prickly pear plants also define the boundaries of the Arab village and symbolize in my eyes the core of our ongoing conflict.
During the last seven years I have been creating vessels made of clay using the textures of Prickly Pear leaves. Vessels that are born as pots but gradually as they grow lose their shape, twist and swivel and become more like the landscape they have risen from.
The use of the Prickly Pear leaves in my work was as natural to me as walking down an unmarked path in the Carmel I live in. These pots entwine in the colors of sand, earth and sky, in the colors of my country changing its faces over the years. The curvaceous shapes of my vessels came from the hills of the Galilee. The jagged unfinished edges of my work take form, from the images of the cliffs of the desert. The prickly pear leaves transform the earth I use into the visions of the earth I walk upon. This together, is my habitat.

It’s always a challenge for two artists to collaborate on an exhibition, especially when one is an established ceramic artist and a veteran of many shows – in Israel, the US., Canada, Japan, Germany, Poland and Austria - while the other is a stills photographer taking his first steps in the artistic world. Add to this, the fact that Adi Aronow and Nimrod Aronow are mother and son, and “Alone and Together,” their joint exhibition, opening on July 19th at the Picasso Gallery, Castra may seem even more of a challenge.
Both of the artists have roots in Japan and its artistic tradition. From the mid 80’s, on almost a bi-yearly basis, Adi spent much time there, studying, working, exhibiting and become a part of an artistic community. Thus it was only natural that when Nimrod began to come to grips with his own mode of artistic expression, he asked her to contact her old friend Tomoki Fujii, one of Japan’s most renowned photographers, with whom he then apprenticed, also serving as his assistant photographer at the World Ceramics Expo in Korea in 2001. Nimrod later returned to Israel – where he is now completing his formal photographic studies – after having learned much technique, but more importantly, what the Japanese term (loosely translated) “the spirit of the photographer.”

In part of the works on display, “Alone and Together” freezes the moment in the creative life of these two artists, showing where they both are in their separate careers. For Nimrod in his solo photos, technique is ongoing; feeling, on the other hand, lies at the center of his art, giving the works strength and stability. For Adi, both chance and precision motivate the wellsprings of her creativity, while the tools of her art – the potter’s wheel, kiln even the glue that she uses – are a means to express her adventure of love with clay. Other pieces shown in the exhibition – joint creations and one installation – build via an ongoing dialogue and a search to find cognate significance, in elements both similar and in juxtaposition, in their very different work.

The surrounding environment, people and myself were the subjects of my work, from my early days as an artist. Drawing my surroundings reflected my daily routine. Creation and everyday life is the subject of my latest exhibition – the sixteenth.
The equal size of the paper, to me, represents the routine and is used as a repetitive element to signify unity.
The themes painted are from reality, in their natural places. Casual frames became a good source of expression and made it easy for me to identify with. Laundry hanging on a rope, dishes in a basin or lying beside it haphazardly to dry, my working materials, clothes with which I clean my brushes or briefcases containing works, were all suitable subjects. I dealt with things that are part of my life, fascinating glances that were caught by the eye and were not given attention to, due to the habit involved. This time, I did not look for subjects, I just bumped into them.
Returning to paint more realistically, after a long period, had been a joyful, pleasant change. I cannot evaluate exactly the creative process in which I was, but clearly, it involved more power and restlessness, compared to the softness and comfort of today. Each creative path finds its proper moment. The changes, I learned, come naturally with the changes in personality.
During the last ten years, I often dealt with sketching, which is the foundation of my work and is of prime importance to me.
Retuning to oil paintings was accompanied by a search for suitable brushes, color thickness, hand movements, rhythm and other elements to signify my handwriting and create a surface to my satisfaction.
Every exhibition I had, concluded a stage, summarized a process or an idea – a reflection of my recent work at that time. By working, searching, a new way was born, and the changes took place naturally.

Lea Atir 2003.

Lives and works in Haifa.
Member of the Israeli Painters & Sculptors Association since 1967.
Winner of the City of Haifa - Herman Struck award of 1970..
For 23 years I was a teacher of painting in the design department at Wizo College, Haifa.
I was born in Israel and brought up in a mixed neighborhood consisting of German Templers, Christian and Moslem Arabs, Armenians, British and Jews and so was exposed to cultures of East and West, that were influential in my development.
I see myself as a Jewish Israeli artist, who is used to the local light and ambience.
It is possible to see that my paintings are a mixture of reality and imagination.
I paint in all media - oil colors, acrylics, gouache, water colors, figurative landscapes and images, influenced by the surroundings. In my work there is the spiritual expression influenced by music.

In this project I chose to portray an image of my family, as reflected from the variety of activities associated with our dinning customs. Facing this subject, made me see my family in a totally new light. This process resembles a person taking one step back, facing the mirror, pausing, and examining himself with a critical eye for the first time. From this new point of view, one sees things that were always there, but somehow were unnoticed: looks, gestures, postures; personal behaviors, relationships and dynamics between people; differences between meals on various occasions, and variations of the dinning tradition in different households. The family portrait, presented in this work, is built-up by revealing a series of scenes, which are made up from people, details, and atmosphere: holiday meals and family meetings side by side with intimate dinners; dinning tables loaded with a variety of delicatessen- from barbeque (“Shipudeam”) and Israeli Salad, moving through international dishes such as Italian Lazanya to traditional dishes such as a honey dipped apple, Matza, and Gefilte-Fish; table manners, table customs, seating arrangements, working habits, and the roles each member takes upon himself; participants (kids, parents, grandparents), which reveal themselves as individuals as well as parts of the whole- the family. The holiday and “Sabath” formal family dinners are characterized with their own special dynamics. They start off in the dinning room with a tidy, elegant, full, and quiet table- no people and no activity. Suddenly the storm hits the table; the table is filled with people, motion, commotion, and noise; people coming and going, sitting down and standing-up; hands grabbing and passing; noise, talking, shouting, arguments, and the sound of the cluttering dishes. Then at some unexpected moment it all ends. The table is suddenly left to itself (or almost to itself), but now it is not clean tidy and elegant as it was when everything started. To complete this picture of “Dinning-A Way of Life”, one must shed some light on the activities that takes place beyond the boarders of the dinning table. Every meal has its before and after, which include a lot of hard work. Although this project reveals a unique and personal portrait of my family, it holds with in it many elements that reflect on the Israeli and Jewish entity.

The exhibition “Homage to Yosef Hirsch”, in which 53 of his former students participated, took place last year in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, and this year in Haifa. The artists then exhibited contemporary works side-by-side with works done during their studies with Hirsch. The idea for this current exhibition was conceived during a conversation between Helen Bar-Lev, curator, and Zvika Israel, Chairman of the Artists’ and Sculptors’ Association, Haifa. It was decided that additional exhibitions , based on different concepts, would take place in the Centre for Arts, “Kastra”, in Haifa. In the central hall we present the exhibition “DIALOGUE”. The 14 Jerusalem-based artists, all former Hirsch students, are conducting a conversation, perhaps at times, an argument, between themselves and between Yosef Hirsch. (22.5.03-5.6.03). The curator of the exhibition is Helen Bar-Lev. The artists participating in the show are: Rivka Aderet-Myers, Helen Bar-Lev, Mota Brim, Chava Epstein, Maureen Fain, David Gerstein, Bilha Levin, Ruth Nevo, Yuval Peled, Rivka Sassover-Peled, Gretty Rubinstein, z”l, Aviva Shafrir, Naomi Schreibman, Marek Yanai At the same time, in the Picasso Gallery, an exhibition of Yosef Hirsch’s works, with an emphasis on the figurative aspect, his infinite dimensions, textures and monochromatic hues, is taking place. (22.5.03-19.6.03) The curator of this exhibition is Zvika Israel.

Born in South Africa, resides and works in Haifa. In 2002, was awarded the Struck Art prize by the Haifa municipality. Maureen’s paintings present to us man, universal man, captured in a moment which transcends time and place, as if caught in a movie, which is stopped for a second. Her canvases present anonymous figures, often in crowd scenes, and there is a quality of daydream and a suggestion of metamorphosis as the figures dissolve into the paint. “ Even when in groups, the figures remain detached, the individual is sunk into himself and the viewer is drawn into reflections that touch on the meaning of human existence” (Yaakov Korlander, Zavta curator)

Literally speaking collage means to glue, from the French word colle. More widely it means bringing different things which are stranger to each other together into a new creation. This new being has a new meaning in its mere coming together. The collage is a relatively new technique which developed in the beginning of the Twentieth Century. Its fathers are George Braque and Pablo Picasso who turned an aiding tool in art into a unique expressive method. My great love is for nature sceneries, specifically the Israeli ones and more widely the Mediterranean. In my journeys I absorb and photograph them and in the studio they receive new faces and dimensions. The idea is to disassemble and re-assemble, to destroy and create and the outcome is sometimes one of after an earthquake or a jigsaw puzzle which was assembled differently than meant. The creative process is an adventure. The final outcome is dictated by the process and looks like a riddle which invites the viewer in to reassess the components.

The Israel Miniature Art Society (IMAS) was established at the end of 1996 by Mr. Jacques Heller (our present President), Mr. Dick Ben-Dor, late Mr. Harry Araten, Mr. Chaim Rosenthal, Dr. Erga Heller and others, and is active within the World Federation of Miniaturists. IMAS has more than 120 members - visial artists - from all over Israel. Since 1997, about once a year, IMAS represents its fine-artists in a "General Exhibition". This year our theme is "Women". 31 IMAS’ members are showing their laests works on this theme.

"In my paintings I concentrate mainly on the subject of color and its emotional and spiritual strength. In the search after something primary and even dreamy. Most of my images are taken from observing the view of mountains, houses, sky etc. It is very important to reach the sense of spiritual being that comes back from the image, the color and the materialism. Every single touch of my brush allows me to catch the ungraspable horizons... "

Shula has created in Textile since 1982. Her work style is individual and has evolved with time. Personal and social experiences are revealed in her works. The choice of the fabric material provides optimism and softness even in dark artistic saying. The gentleness, embedded in the fabrics, balances the dark and powerful colors. A variety of dye, color removal, painting, printing and stitching techniques is implemented in the work process. The technique requires careful thought and cautious design, which restrains spontaneity and frames impulsiveness. Spontaneity and control, outburst of colors and order, characterize her artwork. In her paintings, Shula often integrates fabrics and textile techniques, like weaving and sawing. Shula’s works have been displayed in various group and solo exhibitions in Israel, Japan, Europe and USA. In July 2001, Shula exhibited a Solo exhibition accompanied to “the Tenth International Triennial of Textile”, Lodz, Poland.

The degree of emotion embedded in Tchernikhovski’s work evokes layers upon layers of metaphorical images Her canvasses are immerged with scenes flashed in the memory, reflecting a constant search for the perfect composition, unique textures and meaningful texts. Tchernikhovski’s art embodies a unique melange of feminine sensuality, the tropical hues of South America, and the Italian Classical School. Her unique art is honored in several private collections. Evi Tchernikhovski 12 Hagesher st, Hod Hasharon, Israel Tel: 972-9-7464449, 972-52-432631 E-mail: evit@bezeqint.net

Alberto Cavallari, born in Bondeno (Ferrara) Italy, lives and works in Modena. He began to draw while prisoner in German concentration camps in the years 1943-1945. From 1960 only he devoted himself entirely to painting. He took part to all the most important National Art Exhibits receiving numerous awards. His work is displayed in various Art Galleries and private collections in Italy and abroad. "... in some rooms some paintings of great interest stand out like the ones of the modenese painter Alberto Cavallari for its vigorous design and for the dramatic intensity of the scene (Christ lying on a field of rocks that border the horizon in a black night where the moon illuminates the cadaver). I already had the chance of admiring painter Cavallari’s work in his personal exhibit at Galleria il Bilico, via Brunetti, in Rome...." (Renato Guttuso)

Daniele Giovanardi, born in Modena, Italy, is Doctor in Medicine and works as responsible of the Emergency at the Policlinico in Modena. As an athlete for Track and Field at the Olympics in Munich 1972 he eye-witnessed the tragic death of the Israeli team. Important Art collector, he dedicated many years to painting and has a special love for the Venetian lagoon scenery: Burano, Chioggia and Torcello areas. " ... and the impressive Giovanardi, the doctor-painter, for whom the paint brush is not only a hobby but a moving vision of life. In Pio Semeghini’s way, Giovanardi with his "Last lights on the lagoon" gives to us brilliant transparencies and poetic dreams” ( Ferruccio Veronesi). Opening ceremony will be on 19/10/02 at 19:00.

Zahava Lupu lives in Israel. Graduate of The Academy of Music, Tel Aviv and The Avni Institute of Art, Tel Aviv. How does one portray poetry? Perhaps it is impossible, but Zahava Lupu makes an effort to exhibit part of that complexity. Her new painting relate to her innermost melodies, departing from any concrete narrative. The paintings stand on their own, isolated from the world, like an icon of Aesthetics, which derives its reason by simple existence. Like poetry, their beauty is enhanced through the intimate bond to their creator, offering the viewer a personal insight. Hagai Segev, Art Historian

The sculptor Moshe Sendowski lived and was educated in Kvutzat Kineret, he later became a founding member of Kibbutz Haon. Today he lives and create’s in Kiriat Bialik. He has exhibited his work in both solo and group exhibitions and has also applied his creativity to teaching Technical and Creative Arts, in high schools, Teacher Training centers and seminars. Moshe Sendowski graduated the "Oranim" College as a senior teacher of arts. He is an active member of the Israeli Painters’ and Sculptors’Association. His sculptures have had great success and they can be found in Museums, Galleries, as well as in private collectors houses. His sculpture: "Ruth the Moabite" is a steady exhibit in the Presidentts Residence in Jerusalem. Moshe Sendowski creates with a variety of materials such as stone, wood, marble and bronze. His style of creation is partially figurative up to abstract. The human being is the main subject in his works. In a lot of his sculptures he designs the image of the woman as a creative power, as a symbol of motherhood and fertility. His culptures are formed with soft, tender and rounded lines and shapes. The opening ceremony of the exhibition’s will be on 05/10/02 at 20:00.

For many years, working as a R&D engineer, I was sculpting too. It was a hobby that was stronger than myself and I was doing sculpture even during periods, when I was working for endless hours, at my official job. Since I have retired in 1993, my hobby has turned into my main activity. Now, finally, I am a professional sculptor. After the long years, when my creativity has been limited by the lack of time, I started creating at a "crazy" pace. No wonder that I have called my last individual exhibition: "The addiction to creativity". Currently, besides the sculptures that I have sold or donated, I have at home more than 150 art works of mine. Monumental sized sculptures of mine are starting to be seen at different places.