Ora Ruven
My father was a Holocaust survivor, my mother was a young girl of Aliyat Hanoar (Youth Aliyah). I was born in Israel one month after the beginning of the War of Independence.
My childhood passed in Jaffa: Synagogue and Mosque prayer sounds were my music and view...
My father was a Hebrew, Torah and Talmud teacher. As a young girl he told me a lot of stories, ranging from the Bible to Agada.
So it was natural for me to study Hebrew linguistics when I became a student, and to expose the beauty of Hebraic culture, ancient Jewish coins and other objects in Archeology. This was for one part of my soul. For the other part, I studied Education, and specialized in Infancy Education. My art was born when I prepared Shana Tova cards, Hanuka Menorahs and other wonderful Jewish objects with the children in my work at the kindergarten.
I raised my family until I was free of taking care of my children, and it was then that my art changed and the stones came to my life. I learned to sculpt stone at the Tel Aviv Museum workshop. After working with clay in the kindergarten with the children I was happy to work the hard, impressive stone and marble that I found in the Israeli desert.
I participated in stone sculpture symposia in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and in Israel, of course, creating large pieces of 2-3 meters. In my studio I continued working on small, very delicate pieces, like mezuzahs or small birds.
After some time I wanted more...I felt this was the time to begin academic art study.
I passed 4 wonderful years in Ha-Midrasha - the Israeli Art College. A new world opened for me. My painting was born, holding all my thoughts, feelings, memories, plans and conscience...
Now I have all these tools of art-making to express my life as an Israeli woman living in Tel-Aviv - a contemporary city, and working in Jaffa - touching Tel Aviv but carrying a long history...a very strong and strange aggregate, full of inspiration.
View Ora's art
