MOSAIC ARTISTadmin
אילנה שפיר האמנית הבינלאומית באמנות הוזאיקה הספונטנית – הלכה ערב חג הפסח , ביום א' השבוע לעולמה בגיל 90. אילנה שפיר נקברה בבית העלמין בעיר מגוריה אשקלון בישראל כשקהל רב הלך אחרי ארונה. נשאו דברים שלושה דורות ובהם הבן והבת, הנכדים ומוכירי זכרה ובהם ראש העיר אשקלון איתמר שמעוני. אילנה הקימה דורות של אמנים בעירה אשקלון ובישרקאל רבתי. במהלך השנים התפרסמה בתערוכות הגדולות והרבות שלה בכמה יבשות בעולם ובמיוחד באמנות המוזאיקה הספונטנית , בה היא נחשבת כאמנית בשורה הראשונה וזוכת פרסים והוקרה גדולה בתערוכות שהציגה את יצירותיה.
אנו מביאים כאן את סיפורה גם באנגלית למוקירי זכרה בארץ ובעולם.
7 בOctober 20112
The mosaic artist, resident of Ashkelon, Ilana Shafir, is worthily taking part in a unique prestigious exhibition in Italy in her honour where she is exhibiting a large mosaic that she only recently finished creating.
The artist Ilana Shafir who is a resident and worthy citizen of the city of Ashkelon presents at the International Mosaic Festival in Ravenna, Italy. The festival opens on the ninth of O
ctober until 20th November at the Classens Library in Ravenna ,Italy.
Ilana Shafir will present two large mosaic creations at the exhibition and six medium size pieces .Italy is considered to be the universal birthplace of the art of mosaic. The exhibition has been established in partnership with The Organisation for Artistic International Mosaic. (AIMC.)
The creations by Ilana Shafir have already been specially packaged and sent from her home in Ashkelon to the exhibition hall in Italy.
Ilana Shafir has merited innumerable accolades at tens of exhibitions in many countries in which she has taken part in the last ten years. Latterly, she took part in a number of exhibitions in U.S.A. Practically every year she takes part in symposia and exhibitions in different countries and is considered to be one of the greatest artists in the field of mosaic art. The city of Ravenna in Italy is the meeting place for all the mosaic artists in the world and at the same time as the international exhibition , the festival is hosting the work of this Israeli artist at the internationally acclaimed exhibition where her work is being displayed..
Ilana Shafir has lived in Ashkelon since the nineteen fifties and has been involved in art ever since. She began to paint the new immigrants who were living in transit camps in the new city and the inhabitants who came to live in it. Ilana has painted and has also mentored hundreds and thousands of pupils and adults in the branches of art and painting. After participating in many exhibitions at home and abroad with an impressive style ofunique painting she began to focus on the art of mosaic and excelled in this field at the highest international level.
The city of Ashkelon has endowed her with the distinction as an “Honoured Citizen of Ashkelon” for her unstinting devotion to the flowering of art education in Ashkelon and MIFFAL CHAIM ( A Special Achievements Award) in the establishment of the Ashkelon Arts Centre through which pass hundreds of children and youths ,every year , in classes of all kinds of art. Ilana ,as a teacher of painting and mosaic to generations of artists has participated in hundreds of exhibitions of her own at home and abroad and has not passed over the opportunity to exhibit along with other Ashkelon artists.
Ilana developed the concept of “ Spontaneous Mosaic” that brought about a revolution in the art of mosaic for which she received prizes in recognition of her work. She founded the Society of Mosaic Artists in Israel and at her initiative the Mosaic Garden of Ashkelon was established which has turned into a focus of pilgrimage for artists and devotees of art from Israel and the whole world. Shapir says “ My unique approach to mosaic is that I don’t prepare sketches or cartoons in advance of the final creation. My artistic sensitivity and innovation place me in a creative process and so I coined the expression ‘ Spontaneous Mosaic’. I use the same kind of materials that the ancient mosaic makers used except in a different and more modern way”
The annual prestigious Italian SOLO MOSAICO has published two essays about Shafir . The first, written by one of Italy’s important art critics. The second , written about Ilana Shafir by Tova and Nira Portugali two children from Ashkelon who create mosaics.
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My e-mail is ei3@zahav.net.il. Ezra Yanuv