Yotam
My artistic journey started because of the war in my country, Israel, when I was in Grade 11. The conflict had a huge impact on me, and I felt a strong need to express my emotions through my art. I began the course with my small wooden painting which was my first piece. My wish at the time was to explore nature and make an art out of my passion for the topic.
Unfortunately the war broke out in my country and I wanted to completely change my theme from nature to captivity. I did it by looking at the firm lines in my first painting which reminded me of prisoner bars, which led me to do my other pieces: the Cage, The Hostages, Captivity and Chateau of blood.
This deep connection to the war led me to explore more of my own identity, Judaism, in my art. I wanted to understand how my heritage connected with my thoughts on conflict, suffering, and strength. One of my most important pieces is my photo collage, which shows the hostages taken on October 7th. This work acts as a reminder of the pain and consequences war brings. I used red paint in this piece to symbolize war and death, making the emotions even stronger. My biggest artistic influences helped shape this work. Jean-Paul Laurens inspired me with his use of red in The Hostages, showing how color can express deep emotions, helping me create shapes that add meaning and depth to my ideas about war and captivity.
As I moved into Grade 12, my themes evolved. I started focusing more on freedom and hope instead of only captivity and pain. This shift is clear in my series of 4 doves sculptures, which symbolize peace, and in my Tree of Life piece as 3D cubes. While my earlier works showed suffering, these new pieces represent the possibility of healing. The Tree of Life is an important symbol in Judaism, standing for wisdom, growth, and strength. By including it in my work, I wanted to show that life continues even after war and destruction which is a special attribute of the Jewish people especially after WW2 . This change in my art reflected my own thoughts as well. I was still thinking about the effects of war, but I also started to focus on what comes after: hope, renewal, and moving forward.
Through my exhibition, I want people to better understand what war really means. I hope viewers will think about what leads to war and the terrible effects it has on people’s lives. My goal is not to push a political opinion but to encourage empathy, awareness, and discussion. Each piece I made tells a personal story, but together, they show a bigger picture of war and the hope for peace. I hope that by looking at my work, people will take a moment to feel and connect with the human side of war, understanding its deep emotional and social effects.
Ceramic cage (January 2023)
Ceramic and glaze
11x20cm
I created this piece using clay and metal glaze to give the black color inside the cage. It reflects my emotions due to the ongoing war in Israel over the last year. The cage symbolizes the harsh conditions the hostages in my country are enduring. The black cage also features the symbol of the hostages, the yellow tie. This piece aims to express my feelings about the recent events in Israel and raise awareness of the current situation.
Abstract leaf (October 2023)
Acrylic paint on wood
44x17cm
This piece shows a leaf that I collected on our school campus. The leaf is drawn in a different way and not a "copy and paste" from reality. In this piece I was heavily inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe. Referring to my inspiration from the artist I created a leaf that doesn't exactly look like this leaf contains different color sections according to O'Keeffe's art style
Captivity (December 2024)
Chalk and charcoal
51x70cm
In this captivity piece, I addressed the main topic I have been exploring lately, which is "captivity". This topic came up due to the war that has been going on in my country Israel for the last 8 months. In this piece you can see a human hand holding the bars of a prison/cage/, something that symbolizes my feelings towards the events of the kidnapping of the citizens from my country which ended up as hostages
Abstract ceramic piece (February 2023)
Ceramic with oxide and glaze
17x19cm
This piece was inspired by David Umemoto who creates abstract clay works and seemed like something I would like to do. I created a piece of clay in an abstract form with a cut out shape on the inside, which is very similar to Umemoto’s works. The hole was created in the form of the which, from a religious point of view in Judaism (which is my theme) symbolizes the Hashem the letter ה
Chateau of blood (October 2024)
Acrylic on canvas
119x136 cm
I transformed my own photo into a painting, capturing the haunting history of a château used by the Nazis in WWII. Once beautiful, it now stands as a grim reminder of past horrors. The château is set against a gray background, fading to black, evoking sadness and loss. The entrance is painted bright red, symbolizing blood and violence, drawing attention to the suffering within, especially of Jewish people who were tortured there. This contrast highlights the building’s dark past.
