On September 1st, 2023, my partner, our seven-month-old baby, and I left everything behind and set out on a journey, not knowing where it would lead us. Since then, we have traveled through different countries, nesting in each place for a while before continuing on our path.
Along the way, I absorbed inspiration from the places we visited, setting up my mobile studio in a favorite corner of each temporary home, until folding it back into the suitcase. Thus, drawings were born, inspired by visual fragments I photographed along the way- sculptures, reliefs, and other objects that caught my eye and touched my heart. Together, they form a visual map of my experiences, weaving together cultures and personal reflections in each drawing.
Some of them are then framed by hand, using soft solder, a material that contrasts the organic fluidity of the drawings with precise, polished edges. The repetitive nature of the process draws me into a liminal space of quiet, where everything slows and thoughts drift like waves.
I hope this piece of art carries a quiet, flowing presence, an object charged with the time, memory, and intention that shaped it. May it become a wall-charm, like a small jewel, for your space, deepening and evolving with the energy you bring to it over time.
Each work is a singular piece, just like you ✶
Short Bio
I am Maayan Shahar (b. 1988), a multidisciplinary artist. I completed my B.F.A and M.F.A studies at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. My works have been exhibited in solo shows at Artport, Tel Aviv, and at Be’eri Gallery, as well as in various museums and galleries worldwide, including the Bat Yam Museum, the Negev Museum, the Eretz Israel Museum, the Larnaca Art Biennale, Jerusalem Design Week, among others. I participated in the Artport Program Residency and a research group at the Holon Digital Art Center. I am a recipient of grants from the Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts and have received several excellence awards from Bezalel for my studies.
Making art on the road / Moving Podcast Interview by Irit Sternberg.
Haaretz / Gallery Magazine Solo exhibition article by Ofir Hovav.
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