Contemporary Ceramics in Israel

February 14, 2009 - June 7, 2009

Mint Museum of Craft + Design

Michaela Orstav

Forms

hand-built porcelain

(102 x 72 cm)

40.2 x 28.3” each

From the Melting Pot into the Fire: Contemporary Ceramics in Israel includes some of the most acclaimed ceramic artists working in Israel today. Ranging from the satirical to the sublime, 38 examples of ceramic sculpture address issues of identity within an immigrant society. Themes such as borders and boundaries will resonate with the American audience. This is the only United States showing of this exhibition co-coordinated by Yael Novak. Novak is in charge of foreign affairs for the Ceramic Artists Association of Israel.

Organized by:The Ceramic Artists Association of Israel (CAAI)

Sponsored by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel and the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA)

The From the Melting Pot page on the Mint Museum website

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Online Resources - Artists

Association of Israel's Decorative Arts (AIDA) Website - biographical images and some images for each artist

• Anat Bar El
• Einat Cohen
• Leah Sheves
• Yael Novak
• Ethel Pisareff
• Gali Grinspan

Shlush Shloshim Gallery Website - the gallery has short biographies and images of each artists work.

• Michal Adler-Shalev
• Leah Sheves
• Yael Novak
• Ethel Pisareff
• Ronit Zor

Artists Websites

• Michal Alon
• Einat Cohen
• Marcelle Klein
• Sara Shuraki -provides many examples of her ceramics as well as glaze formulas and biographical information
• Simone Solomon

More Artist Resources

• Daphna Leshem -some of the artists work from the Chromavtov Ceramics Gallery
• Zipi Geva - "Footprints" from the Israeli Designer Craftsmen's Association website
• Neta Aden Dor -"Heavyweight" and "Knitting Newspaper" from the Israeli Designer Craftsmen's Association website
• Ruth Barkai - From the Jerusalem Artists' House site, a page about Barkai.
• Avner Singer - CAAI page - (Ceramic Artist Association of Israel)
• Gali Grinspan - Dollinger Art Project GalleryPFD of artists life and work
• Dalia Fisch Benari - CAAI page
• Ruth Schreiber - CAAI page
• Dina Shahar - Adi Foundation- image of work (click on 4th image on the first row)

Additional Resources

• Hebrew script and pronunciation guide from Omniglot
• Audio links to Hebrew phrases
• "Yofi means beauty in Hebrew, a very appropriate title for this wonderful selection of Israeli ceramics and jewellery previously shown at Flow gallery, Notting Hill in London."(from the Manchester [England] Craft and Design Centre site)
• Israel Art Guide
• "The End of Days and New Beginnings- Reflections on Art in Israel, 1998–2007" - An article by Amitai Mendelsohn which discusses "the main directions and influences in Israeli art over the past decade", from the exhibition Real Time, Art in Israel 1998-2008 at the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem
• The book, Identity Politics on the Israeli Screen, explores similar themes. Here is a short review.

Print Sources Available in The Mint Museum Library

• Dayan, Ruth, Crafts of Israel NY: MacMillan,1974 TT 113.I75 D38
• Home/Land: Artists, Immigration and Identity. Pittsburgh: Society for Contemporary Craft, 2004 N6512.7.H66 2004

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Created by Joe Eshleman, Library Assistant at the Mint Museum