ORA NISSIM WORLD OF COLOR. MODERN JUDAICA
WORLD OF COLOR. MODERN JUDAICA
Ora Nissim is an Avant-garde autodidact artist. Growing up in the very religious neighborhood of Mea Shearim, Nissim’s art reflects on the religious duality of her past and current lifestyles, as it often revolves around the contrast between the monochrome, conservative Judaism she grew up with, and “the multicolored experience,” as she says, of the many forms in which Judaism is manifested today.
The many colors found on her canvases are the variety of residents that make up the population of current-time Jerusalem.
Regarding Nissim’s technique, her paintings are mostly characterized by a contrast between delicate brush movements and a rampage of colors, symbolizing the somewhat harmonious said contradictions expressed in her art. With a palette of rich, deep oil colors, she aspires to trigger a sense of holiness and depth among her viewers, making her artistic fingerprint easy to recognize. Despite the complexity of her creation, she describes her biggest challenge as a painter as the difficulty of never entering the realm of kitsch.
“I don’t like labels. I don’t look at aspects of Judaism as Haredi or Secular. I had to have the courage to go my own way and be an innovator. My art is really symbolic of that journey. I found my own path, and you can see it in my artwork. I wanted to paint Judaism today and in the future; I don’t focus on the fearful aspect of Judaism, which is what I knew growing up. I practice art out of joy and love, which is what you see in my paintings.”
- Ora Nissim
Nissim’s paintings have been, and still are, sold to buyers worldwide, and her art is currently being presented in New York, Canada, and Jerusalem.
She attributes her success to the courage required of her to express herself and describe her experiences through art.
My art is really symbolic of that journey. I found my own path, and you can see it in my artwork. I wanted to paint Judaism today and in the future;
Nissim is quite successful, selling paintings to big buyers all over the world. She attributes her success to the courage that was required to express herself and describe her experiences through art. She currently has paintings in New York,
Canada and in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem. - By Ariel Dominique Hendelman