| In this three-part series, we will meet three Israeli artists who have won major prizes in 2019 and 2020. Through their art, we will touch on key issues in contemporary Israeli society and gain an in-depth understanding of the current Israeli art scene. Each session will be 75 minutes long and will include 40 minutes of in-depth introduction by our program curator Shirel Horovitz, 20 minutes of conversation with the artist and 15 minutes for Q&A. This series is a unique opportunity for an intimate encounter with some of the leading voices in the contemporary Israeli art scene. Although these sessions can be enjoyed as standalones, there are benefits of embarking on this journey in full – so we encourage you to join us for all three sessions.
Session #1 – Tuesday March 3, 2021
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PST/ 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Drawing Story and Color – Painting with Tigist Yoseph-Ron
In session 1, we focus on the works of Tigist Yoseph-Ron, winner of the Shiff prize for 2019, who’s exhibition is currently on view at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. From her works in illustration all the way to the large expressive charcoal drawings comprising her current solo exhibition, we explore the relationship between her art and her personal story, the use of charcoal in relation to her themes and the places where the personal becomes a voice of a community as well as the larger context of Israeli society, the Ethiopian community and the art scene at large. Born in Gondar, Ethiopia in 1977, Yoseph-Ron made aliyah in 1984 in Operation Moses. In her charcoal drawings and via digital techniques, she deals with notions of femininity, motherhood and parenthood. She has participated in exhibitions in Israel and abroad, among them a duo exhibit in Addis Ababa (2018) in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture. She received the Haim Schiff Award for figurative-realist art awarded annually by the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in 2019.
Session #2 – Tuesday March 10, 2021
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PST/ 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Identity, Language and Myth – Video and Drawing with Karam Natour
In session 2, we dive into the works of Karam Natour, winner of the 2020 Ansalem Kiefer prize. In his videos and digital drawings, Natour explores the intersections of language, culture, nationality and gender through humor, irony and a playful approach to art history. Drawing from his own identity as Arab – Israeli with a unique upbringing, Natour works will take us on a journey questioning the relations between the political and the fictional, the personal and the collective. Born in Nazareth in 1992, living and working in Tel Aviv, Natour completed his BFA and MFA studies (Hons) at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. Represented by Rosenfeld gallery, Natour’s works have been exhibited in museums and art venues in Israel and abroad, including The Tel Aviv Museum of Art, The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Oberhausen Short Film Festival, Janco Dada Museum in Ein Hod. Natour has received awards from The Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts, Oberhausen Short Film Festival, The Pais Council for Culture and Art and the Ansalem Kiefer prize for 2020.
Session #3 – Tuesday March 17, 2021
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PST/ 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
The Building Blocks of Who We Are – Sculpture and Installation with Hilla Toony Navok
In our final session, we explore the works of 2020 Rapaport prize winner Hilla Toony Navok. Starting her creative journey in the world of design, continuing to performance art and only then emerging as a brilliant sculptor and installation artist, Navok brings with her a sense of humor and unique engagement with local history, design and modern urban life. We’ll dive into her creative process, the relation between consumer culture and art and see how everything around us can become a source of wonder and inspiration. Hilla Toony Navok, born 1974 in Tel Aviv, completed her studies at the Wizo College of Art and Design in Haifa (1995) before studying at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design MFA program, Jerusalem (2009). She currently teaches sculpture at the Bezalel BA program in Jerusalem. Navok is represented by Noga Gallery and has exhibited solo shows in venues in Israel and around the world. Among the many awards and prizes Navok has received include: The Rappaport Prize for young artist (2020); The minister of culture prize, (2019); The Beatrice Kolliner Prize for a Young Israeli Artist, Israel Museum (2018); Lottery Council for Culture and Art Award, grants (2017, 2015); Ostrovsky Family Fund (2015); and the Samuel Givon Prize, Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2011). Navok has participated in artists in residency programs such as: The Fountainhead, Miami, AIR Paradise, Tokyo, Artport Tel Aviv and Meet Factory, Prague.
The series is created and led by artist and educator Shirel Horovitz
Through sculpting, drawing and sound, Shirel Horovitz’s installations and performances explore the relations between cities and communities. She earned her BFA from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, her MA from the Interdisciplinary Art Program at Tel Aviv University, and has been studying and practicing Zen-Buddhist inquiry meditation since 2007. Her works have been exhibited in museums and galleries across Israel and the US. She is currently working on new works, among them, a sound installation to be exhibited in Ramat Gan Museum of Art in June 2021. Alongside her art practice Shirel leads tours, lectures and is an art consultant with a variety of organizations. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Shirel has adapted her live tours and lectures to engaging online experiences inviting people from around the world to explore the fascinating world of Israeli art. Website: shirelhorovitz.com |
CSP Partners: Beth Israel (San Diego, CA), Congregation Beth Shalom (Seattle, WA), Congregation B’nai Tzedek (Fountain Valley, CA), Congregation B’nai Israel (Tustin, CA), Jewish Collaborative of Orange County, CA, Temple Bat Yahm (Newport Beach, CA), Temple Beth El of South Orange County (Aliso Viejo, CA), Temple Beth Emet (Anaheim, CA), Temple Beth Ohr (La Mirada, CA), Temple Beth Tikvah (Fullerton, CA), Temple Beth Shalom (Needham, MA), Temple Beth Sholom (Santa Ana, CA), Town & Village Synagogue (NYC, NY) & Valley Beth Shalom (Encino, CA)