I was born and raised at Kibbutz Yad-Mordechai, in the midst of nature, amongst the shifting sands; with a landscape that changed color and smell over the different seasons. On growing up, I left the kibbutz for Tel Aviv, with its noisy and overly stimulating environment. I lived there for thirteen years. My path led me to encounters that taught me to stick with the chaos and to excavate its diamonds; to magnetize fear and to overcome it, thus winning back a vital piece of myself that had previously been paralyzed by fear.

After years in the city, my yearning for nature, for the dunes, for the broad open expanses, returned me to the Kibbutz. During my first year there, my works were still expressive as far as color, but turned more and more natural in nature.  My return home to nature; to wandering in the fields;  to a livelihood that was more concrete; a disease that I cured by changes to my diet and detoxifying my body; all these led me to grow and deepen my roots and connect with my earthier side. My personal process seeded each and every area of my life. In retrospect, I was able to grasp the process in ever-widening circles: Physical recovery and engagement in the material side of my livelihood also engendered spiritual and emotional clarity. My studio life entered high gear.

In my creative process, changes in materials, techniques and color palettes often present themselves unannounced. They are joyous and challenging; they render a blessed intensity that manifests as passion and transcendence. Inspiration is wild and free, it takes a spark and ignites snow. I am grateful every day for my chosen path; for having the fortune to live a life filled with creativity. A life that entails discovery, significance and profound satisfaction. The outer perspective on the world and the inward plumbing of mysterious depths blend and entwine, leading to a fierce experience of vitality. Submission teaches trust and humility. Every time I am able to crystallize this process in the studio, I feel I have peeled off another layer of being: This then, is the essence of my role as an artist.

Lior