VIENNA EXHIBITION /FEBRUARY 2018 My favorite subject is street photography, with a focus on people.There's one theme which attracts me THE most: CRAFTSMEN. I was raised in a family in which none of my parents was a manual worker. My father was a civil servant, and my mother was a nurse before she decided to quit her job and raise us. But she loved drawing and taking pictures with her very old and simple film camera, which she got as a present from an American uncle. I suppose her genes planted in me the love for creation and my passion for photography. Yet I asked myself why CRAFTSMEN. To answer that I decided to follow my instincts. It all began with a simple love of wandering. At first in the market back streets and alleys, then in the streets of Southern Tel Aviv, and eventually I began seeking craftsmen throughout the country. I was especially attracted to hands, the kind that tell a life story, working hands, strong, stable hands, the kind that had experienced long days of creative work. These are the hands of the last of the pioneers, those who have not surrendered to modernity, and continue with their daily work, as they have done for many years. They are masters of their fields.The more I met the better I realized that they were the connection between basic life, hard work, handy crafts and creativity. Each one, is an artist actually. These are people who love what they do. I could see brightness in their eyes while talking with them about their profession. Only then I began shooting pictures of craftsmen. In my travels all over the world armed with my camera, I keep looking around for small workshops. No matter what language they spoke or even if we didn't speak the same language, we managed to communicate. They all loved to talk about their art. As we spoke or while they kept working, I would take pictures. After a few moments, they wouldn't pay attention to the camera and that's when I shoot. They would keep busy by showing me what they learned after many years. They showed pride in their art and creation.
In July 2017 my photography project of craftsmen turned into a solo exhibition at the Artists House Gallery of Tel Aviv. I named it:" Thanks To Your Hands".
Actually I feel that I tell the history of my journey in the discovery of the last of the craftsmen. In the typological series, I describe the archetype of these craftsmen: carpenters, shoemakers, blacksmiths, metalworkers, and others. These ancient crafts are mainly carried out by rough, strong males in simple working clothes, in a cluttered, crowded work environment filled with the tools of their trade.