ORA NISSIM
MODERN JEWISH ART
Gold List Award Artist Ora Nissim in the studio. © Art Market Magazine
Ora Nissim, a groundbreaking Israeli artist, introduces the Jewish world using a wide spectrum of colors and emotions. Nissim paints Jerusalem, her hometown, in her own unique manner. Through an interplay of stains and colors, Nissim constructs compelling compositions, games of texture and a unique combination of colors that come together to create powerful works of art that the viewer cannot remain indifferent to. “The experience of creating is to give birth to something new and different every time, to dream and fantasize through work about my Jerusalem”.
Ora Nissim. My Jerusalem. Oil and acrylic mixed technique on canvas. 170 x 80 cm. Signed. © Art Market Magazine
“My Jerusalem”, says Nissim, “is full of diverse cultural magic, with a wide range of languages, cultures and characters, different outfits, and all of this creates a magical and unique atmosphere. As you walk in Jerusalem, there’s something different in the air – the sacred and spiritual is spiked with the scent of spices and cooking, sounds of prayer and singing accompany the colorful characters that mingle with Hasidic figures dressed in black. I like to take off their black clothes and clad them in colorful dresses full of movement and joy. As a child, I grew up in Mea She’arim neighborhood in Jerusalem, where I was exposed to how much color, feeling, vibrancy and joy lie behind these black clothes. All ‘avodat Hashem’, divine worship, is expressed in rejoycement, festivals, prayer, the Sabbath table and in the ceremoniousness which accompanies everything. So much contrast, so much magic!
Ora Nissim. Jerusalem Prayers. Oil on canvas. 100 x 65 cm. Signed.© Art Market Magazine
“That is why my paintings are all about the atmosphere, which is the connecting element of Jerusalem. There is a certain Sabbath and holidays atmosphere, expressed in spiritual colors, then there’s a weekday atmosphere of the physical and the earthly. An atmosphere of longing and craving for salvation, an atmosphere of exile… Every day in Jerusalem has its story, its atmosphere and its predominant color. I like to incorporate gold in my paintings, It grants me hope for beautiful days of peace, the yearning for Messiah and a complete salvation.
Ora Nissim. Gold Wall. Oil on canvas. 120 x 70 cm. Signed. © Art Market Magazine
“Up until about 20 years ago, contemporary Jewish art did not receive much attention and exposure. The artists specializing in Judaic paintings used to depict realistic figures and landscapes in brown and other heavy tones. In the beginning of my artistic journey, I was reaching out to galleries, asking them to show my work, and was met with refusal and puzzlement: ‘We don’t think people will appreciate futuristic and abstract Judaica paintings; it’s too extreme to depict characters and spiritual issues like that’, they would say. That was the typical response that I got, but art has prevailed. And 20 years later, here I am, recognized worldwide”.
Ora Nissim. Jewish wedding. Oil on canvas. 80 x 90 cm. Signed. © Art Market Magazine
Ora Nissim’s Gallery in Jerusalem © Art Market Magazine
Today, Ora Nissim is a successful innovative artist. Following her success, the trend of contemporary Jewish art was established. She was one of the first artists to show the way to colorful, innovative and abstract art incorporating Jewish and spiritual subjects. Her paintings are displayed in numerous galleries in Israel and around the world, as well as at the prestigious Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem. Nissim participates in exhibitions, projects and plenty of prestigious art initiatives. Over the past two years, Ora Nissim has received three awards for innovation and breakthrough in the world of art:
– International Caravaggio prize, Milano 2018
– International Botticelli prize, Florence 2019
– International Velazquez prize, Barcelona 2019
About a year ago, in the most vibrant place in Jerusalem, on 153 Jaffa Street near the Mahane Yehuda market, Nissim opened her upscale gallery, where she displays her colorful and magical paintings made in a variety of unique techniques. Visiting the place will let you feel the power of the colors and the ambiance of Jerusalem.
“People from all over the world come to Jerusalem and visit the gallery. There’s so much satisfaction in exposing my work to a diverse audience, At first, they would come in and pause in the light of powerful vividness, the textures and color spots when having looked deeper, the Western Wall and the city of Jerusalem appear and are revealed to them. This is where the tour of Jerusalem begins”.
Website: oranissim.com
email: ora.nisim1@gmail.com
