Archives: Portfolio

This project combines two worlds: etching and design.

Creating the book helped me refine my etching style, and presented me with the opportunity to re-examine my work — by surfacing some ideas, and accentuating others. I was trying to put together a sequence of works that would properly represent my creative activity throughout the years.

Aharon Shabtai’s poem entered my life at the right moment, and I immediately fell in love with it. Every time I read it, I smile again. It makes me think. I wrote a special text for each project included in the book. The texts add another layer to my works and put them in a more accurate context.

The rocking chair is a part of an exhibition held in Design Museum Holon.

In building the chair I use broken or defective bike frames, sometimes abandoned by their owners. These frames are usually thrown away, and the rocking chair grants them another life- cycle. The structure of the chair is complete with a wooden ski which serves as a stabilizing basis and allows for the rocking motion. The curved ski echoes a skateboard or snowboard,
and this inspired me to “play” with its surface by using various lamination materials, such as specially-designed Formica boards, wood veneers and paint.

The rocking chair is equipped with a Brooks bike saddle. Brooks produces numerous saddle models in many different colors — which allows for a large variety of chair designs.

Profits yielded by the chair sales should be given back to society — that was my decision, and in order to carry it out I
set up a cooperation with UNICEF. Every sale of a rocking chair allows for the purchase of two bicycles, to be given to children in developing countries. This is no incidental choice. I believe a bicycle is the most beautiful present a child could get. Apart for its uses for sport and games, it allows for mobility. Children can go everywhere by themselves, and thus gain independence.

“Saddle” brings together two of my most beloved things: chairs and bicycle riding.

Seizing opportunities is an important thing in life. That’s exactly what I did when I heard Design Museum Holon was planning an exhibition about bicycle. I started thinking of a way to be involved in the exhibition, and submitted a proposal for designing a series of objects made for sitting — inspired by the bike saddle. The proposal was approved, and this marked the beginning of an era in my life which goes on to this day.

I plan objects that are meant to be sat on like bike saddles. This perspective is quite liberating — it enables me to literally think out of the box. Some of the objects look like chairs and seats, others take new, unexpected shapes. The lack of obligation allows for surprising results.

This project began as a contribution to Variety — a society for children in need.

I created a press mold, suitable for coins at almost any size. The press cuts the shape of a heart in the center of the coin. The first experiment was made with Israeli 10 penny coins. They are hardly in use, almost worthless and very available. The idea was to increase the value of a trivial product through the short, one-time process of pressing and cutting.

During the Variety gala evening I stood in the lobby and “broke” hearts. Guests would give me 10p coins, pay 5 ILS and get their coins back, pierced with a heart. That night I raised for Variety more than 5,000 ILS.

The press remains with me to this day and I keep “breaking” hearts, selling them in special events and contributing the revenues to associations supporting children in need.

“In Principle” was my first solo exhibition. It was based on a folding chair I had created during my RCA studies. The exhibition was comprised of multiple personal interpretations and abstract ideas revolving around the folding principle. All the chairs included in the exhibition were based on one model. In several cases I changed the proportions in order to achieve the result I was looking for. Horizontal stretching, for example, turned the chair into a bench, while vertical stretching turned it into a bar stool.

In RCA, my aim was to impress. I was shooting in all directions, or maybe looking for my own direction. I had to be sure I could do everything. It was extremely important.

The years I spent in London were the best years of my life. Moving from Israel to London has sharpened my senses and made me
feel more confident about my professional choices. Unlike Israel, where almost everyone follows current trends, London made me realize everything was possible, acceptable and legit. Everyone was entitled to have their own opinion, and to be proud of their own personal taste. There was a place for everyone.

I look at my RCA projects; can’t say I like them all. This may be another way of self-inspection.

As a graduate, I was definitely less confused.

The Furniture Marathon was an idea I had conceived as a way of putting together a substantial body of works for the RCA interview. It was back in The Gulf War days, and I served in the army throughout the whole war. When I got to the interview in London, all the questions referred to me had to do with the war. This made me think I may have been admitted to the academy as a “war hero”.

I trust my intuitions. The decision to study design was an intuitive one. I never knew anyone who worked in design and had no idea what a designer does, or what design does.

The purpose of B.Design studies in HIT was, first and foremost, qualifying design teachers. I didn’t know that when I applied. Nevertheless, in the first week of my first academic year, during psychology class, when the professor asked: “Where do you envision yourselves ten years from now?” I stood up and said: “I am going to teach design in HIT”