Tel Aviv

Adjacent to Old Jaffa’s bustling flea market and a short walk from its famed Clock Tower is its Greek Market, whose restaurant and shop doors serve as open-air canvases to an eclectic range of artists. The image featured above is the work of Tel Aviv-based fashion designer Athalia Lewartowski.  Several more images — captured on my recent far too brief visit to Tel Aviv — follow:

Also by Athalia Lewartowski

 

The masterly visual artist Elad Green

Tel Aviv born and based illustrator and graphic designer Tal Shetach

The ever-intriguing Soskee

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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Under the masterful curatorial direction of Orit Mizne aka myhovercraft, an abandoned factory building in South Tel Aviv has been transformed into a strikingly stylish street art Mecca. The image pictured above was painted by Tel Aviv-based Solomon Souza, who has recently left his mark here in NYC. Several more artworks that I recently captured from the former factory’s exterior follow:

Mexico City-based Libre 

Shimon Wanda and Shir Lamdan

Elad Greenberg and Yarin Didi

Ana Kogan

Zivink and Erezoo

Other artists who participated in this project include: Michal Rubin, the MisSK, Imaginary Duck and Revzzz.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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This is the third in a series of occasional posts showcasing the range of faces that surface on Tel Aviv public spaces. The image pictured above– sighted in Jaffa’s Greek Market — was painted by Tel Aviv native Tal Shetach. Several more images of faces captured during my recent meanderings through the streets and alleyways of Tel Aviv and Jaffa follow:

Tel Aviv-based visual designer Mayu La

Tel Aviv-based Eli Revzin aka Revzzz

The prolific Tel Aviv-based Dioz

Multi-disciplinary artist Roman Kozhokin aka Kot Art

Tel Aviv-based Yarin Didi

Tel Aviv-based graphic designer Gili Levin aka Asaro Design

Photos by Lois Stavsky

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Inspired by the wide range of street art that surfaces daily in Tel Aviv and beyond, street art enthusiast, educator and tour guide extraordinaire Dina Segev began sharing her poetry on public spaces about two years ago. Whether working alone or in collaboration with other artists, Dina is thrilled to express her poetic musings where others may unsuspectingly come upon them.

For her solo exhibition at Florentin’s legendary Tiny, Tiny Gallery, Dina has worked on a wide range of upcycled materials. “I found them all,” she told us when we stopped by while she was installing her works in perhaps the world’s tiniest gallery!

You can meet Dina tomorrow, Friday, December 21 between 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM, celebrate her opening and view her new works on a range of repurposed materials at Florentin 18 in Tel Aviv.

Images:

  1.  Dina outside the Tiny Tiny Gallery while installing her solo exhibition
  2.  Dina in collaboration with Rafi Baler in Ra’anana
  3.  Dina in collaboration with Question Mark in Tel Aviv
  4. and 5. Dina at Tiny Tiny Gallery

Photo credits: 1-3 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 4 Dina Segev

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While wandering the streets of Tel Aviv and Jaffa, I’ve come upon dozens of portraits of females in a wide range of styles and media. The artwork pictured above was fashioned by the city’s celebrated veteran muralist Rami Meiri. More images of girls on walls, including several that surfaced within the past few months, follow:

Tel Aviv-based muralist and graffiti writer Arad Levy

Tel Aviv-based muralist and tattoo artist MUHA ack

Tel Aviv-based muralist and graffiti writer Dales One

Mosaic of over 50,000 beer bottle caps — collected throughout Europe — fashioned by Rinat Look Elhik

Tel Aviv-based crochet artist and yarn bomber Liza Mamali

Tel Aviv-based designer and street artist Imaginary Duck

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Earlier this month, the French Collective DA MENTAL VAPORZ — consisting of Bom.k, Brusk, Kan, Blo, Jaw, Lek and Sowat — brought their talents to Tel Aviv. At once darkly discomfiting and stunningly mesmerizing, their exhibition, Alone in the Dark, continues through March at the historic Beit Ha’ir Museum on 27 Bialik Street. What follows are a few more images I captured on a recent afternoon visit to the exhibition that made its way onto Beit Ha’ir’s walls, floors and celings:

From the outside looking in:

One of the many details of the installation

A bit of gore, detail

And some buoyant shapes and colors

One of many collaged images

Beit Ha’ir Museum exterior

One of several postcard images

Photos of images: Lois Stavsky

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Launched by Tel Aviv-based Mas 972 this past December, EZXS Gallery showcases artworks in a range of media by a variety of urban artists. On view through tomorrow evening is Rats Rats Rats, an homage to our all-too-frequent guests. The image featured above was fashioned by Mas 972, who conceived and curated Rats Rats Rats, his gallery’s second group exhibit. What follows are several more images of works on exhibit:

Tel Aviv-based visual artist Shay Katz

Tel Aviv-based multi-media artist Damian Tab

Multi-disciplinary visual artist Kot-Art

Russian visual artist Stepa Aifo

And outside the gallery Stepa Aifo in collaboration with Mas 972

In addition to the original artworks on display, prints, stickers, T-shirts, totes and more are available for purchase. The space — located at Hatzerim 9, off Abarbanel Street — remains open today and tomorrow from 4pm until 11pm.

Photo credits: 1 & 6 Mas 972; 2-5 Lois Stavsky

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With her deep passion for street art and remarkable knowledge of the Israeli street art scene, Dina Segev is the quintessential street art tour guide. Whether conducting workshops for school-age children, or lecturing adults about graffiti and street art or simply guiding groups of visitors through the streets of Tel Aviv, her enthusiasm is contagious. While in Tel Aviv earlier this year, I had the opportunity to observe Dina as she conducted a tour for school-age children and, then, speak to her.

When did you first become interested in street art?

As an artist, I’d always been interested in art, and I had been giving private lessons to students in my studio for over 20 years. But I wasn’t aware — for quite awhile — what was happening on the streets. One day, a friend gave me a tour of Florentin, along with a spray can, as a birthday present. I instantly fell in love with what I saw. That was back in 2013. I loved it so much, in fact, that I wanted to take my friends on a tour. And so I took 16 friends on a street art tour of Florentin. It was so interesting that my husband asked me to do it for his company’s clients. And soon afterwards, I took my mother – along with her grandchildren – on a steet art tour for her 75th birthday. Two years later, I closed my studio. Now the streets are my studio.

Among those artists whose works you’ve encountered on the streets, do any stand out?

There are many. Among the first generation artists who come to mind are: Klone, Know Hope, Zero Cents, Adi Sened, Latzi, Foma and Ame 72. Second generation artists include: DedeNitzan Mintz, Dioz, Signor GiUntay, Pesh, Minks, Imaginary DuckB.T.W BinskyLord of Lords and ARC D.L.P.  Among the more recent ones are: Solomon Souza, MR, FrenemyMonkey Rmg, Didi, TAG, Murielle, The MisSK and Damian Tab. And Mati Ale who has brought amazing street art projects to Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station.

And you, yourself, began painting in the streets? When did you start and why?

I began about a year and a half ago. Why? Because I love the idea of connecting with others — even if I never meet them face to face — through my words on the walls.  It is one heart touching another. And — as a result — the anonymous city becomes less anonymous and, maybe, even a bit intimate!

What about the folks — from school children to retirees — who have participated in your tours and workshops? How have they responded to the street art you introduce them to?

They’ve been really appreciative and express great interest in what they see in the streets. Many begin to look at the streets as they never had before.

And what about the artists, themselves? How have they responded to what you are doing?

I’ve developed friendships with many of the artists, and they’ve been supportive of what I do. The artists are not comfortable, though, with those tour guides who lack the knowledge that a street art tour guide should have.

How has the street art scene in Tel Aviv changed since you first started observing it?

While some artists are no longer as active as they used to be, there are many new ones using the streets as their canvas, including more women. There is definitely more of a balance between males and females.

Can you tell us something more about what you offer?

I offer tours for all occasions and all ages. In addition to street art tours in Tel Aviv, Netanya and Jerusalem, I conduct tours of the graffiti exhibitions inside Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station. I also present graffiti workshops and conduct lectures on the topic in a range of settings.

How can folks join your tours or participate in your workshops?

If you live abroad, you can contact me by email: Disegev@gmail.com. I can also be reached at this phone number: 052-3869500. And if you read and understand Hebrew, you can contact me via my website.

What’s ahead for you? Any long-term plans or goals?

More tours, more workshops and more lectures. And I’d like to travel to share my knowledge of Tel Aviv street art with others in cities throughout the globe. That is my ultimate goal! I’d, also, like to publish a children’s book about graffiti and maybe one for adults, too!

It all sounds great! Good luck!

Photo credits: 1 (with artwork by MR), 4 & 5 Lois Stavsky; 2, 3, 6 & 7 courtesy Dina Segev; interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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Rarely bare, Tel Aviv store shutters largely host a motley range of characters. The shutter featured above was fashioned by Kristopher Kotcher aka Frenemy, a freelance illustrator and street artist from Austin, Texas currently based in Tel Aviv. Several more TA shutters, showcasing a variety of images, follow:

Haifa-based visual artist and graphic designer Erezoo

Tel Aviv-based visual artist Roee Shachar Jakubinsky aka B.T.W Binksy

Be’er Sheva-native, Tel Aviv-based visual artist Wonky Monky

Tel Aviv-born and based illustrator and street artist Dora Suger Minks

Tel Aviv-based illustrator and street artist MitzGZR

Photos by Lois Stavsky

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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For the past month Brooklyn-based Sara Erenthal has set up base in Tel Aviv. What follows is a brief interview with the intensely committed multi-disciplinary artist:

What brought you to this region? 

It is where I was born, where I had left my religious upbringing and where, six years ago, I had my first art exhibition. And for the past several years, I’d wanted to return to share my art with the ex-Orthodox community and participate in the vibrant, expressive street art culture here.

Can you tell us a bit about the difference between “getting up” here and back home in Brooklyn?

There is more  freedom of expression on the streets here, and because I’m here for a limited amount of time, the experience has been far more intense.

What have been some of the highlights of this trip?

Visiting and painting in Bethlehem, my first time on the “other side,” and having the opportunity to exhibit my artwork here at the Red House Shapira in South Tel Aviv. And the amazing feature article in Haaretz by Tamar Rotem was, also, a highlight.

Can you tell us a bit your exhibit “Re-Cover” here at the Red House Shapira.  How did it happen? 

Shortly after I arrived in Tel Aviv, I visited the Red House Shapira, a unique space — housed in a historic building — known for its commitment to promoting diversity in the arts. There I met Oren Fischer who invited me to showcase an installation of new works created from found materials in the neighborhood.  My intent was to mirror the diversity of the neighborhood in a unified fashion, while giving new life to discarded matter.

What were some of the challenges you faced in making this happen?

The major challenge was the short period of time I had in pulling it all together. Both Tamar Rotem and Max Streetwalker offered me assistance in the logistics of collecting the varied materials and bringing them over to the studio. I am so grateful to them for their help. And, of course, I could not have accomplished this without the studio space that the Red House Shapira provided.

Congratulations! I look forward to seeing your work in similar installations in other cities, including, perhaps, NYC!

Note: “Re-Cover” can still be seen tomorrow, Sunday, from 11:00 to 17:00; Monday 12:00 to 19:00 and Tuesday 10:00 to 19:00 at the Red House Shapira, Israel MiSalant 39 in Shapira, Tel Aviv.

Interview conducted by Lois Stavsky

Photo credits: 1 & 2 Lois Stavsky; 3 Yonatan Ruttenberg and 4-6 Sara Erenthal

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