Liat Livni
Artist Liat Livin’s works come into being through sketching, pasting, and cutting using a utility knife.
She’s always in search for a middle ground between nature and urban architecture, between art and craft, between what is man-made and what is machine-made, and between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional. Liat’s images deal with the question of belonging to a place and a culture, and navigates betwen the boundaries between artificial and natural. She creates collages with new reference, enabling reality and fantasy to connect intimately. These engrossing works are made of materials such as veneer, paper, and light, rich with the esthetics of pure color. The materials are integrated and piled one on top of another to create the texture of a mysterious landscape full of formative and cultural contrasts. Emptied of its realistic volume, the image creates an iconic language uniting the different layers. The description is given to the viewer in a very concise manner, while attempting to express as much as possible with as little detail as possible.
1) What or who inspired you to want to be an artist?
I would say that one of my inspirations came after I was exposed to an art book of Rene Magritte I bought when I was in the 6th grade. I can definitely say that his painting “The Castle of the Pyrenees” – which is exhibited in the Israel Museum – has always been my favorite. However, I believe that being an artist is not a matter of choice. It is something which exists deep inside, an inexplicable passion to create. The “life style” of the artist usually goes along with some lack of stability, and it requires devotion and dedication as well as supporting family and friends.
2) What was your creative journey that has brought you to where you are in your career today?
First, my early art education during elementary school through my Major in Fine-Arts in High-school and 6 years in Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.
Second, my participation in different “Artist in Residences” in Japan, the USA, and Taiwan helped me to explore different cultures and provided me with great inspiration.
Third, I was twice privileged to have the chance to exhibit as an independent artist in the “Fresh Paint Art Fair,” where my works received much exposure. Moreover, this year my work was chosen to be a part of the Israel Museum collection, a big honor for me and one that fills my journey with satisfaction.
3) What do you need as an artist today?
Financial support and good working-living environment will be of great help. For example, there are bigger projects such as public sculptures which require funding. Another important issue is special designated accommodations for artists. There is a need for a studio space that combines the working facilities and the living quarters since the cost living is usually too high for the artists. I think that many artists all over the world share this problem.
4) What creative project are you working on now?
I just got back to my studio in Israel after four months in Taiwan where I participated in two Artist-In-Residence programs and had a solo exhibition in the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei. Nowadays, I am having a few group exhibitions in Israel and continuing to develop ideas and new sketches before leaving in April to Germany for a new Artist-In-Residence program, “Ida- Intercultural Dialogues” in Hanover, which was initiated by Schir-Art Concepts.
5) Where do you see yourself and your career in 10 years?
I hope to see myself satisfied and happy working on various challenging projects in bigger scales and to have the option to present indoor, outdoor, and in public spaces all over the world.
6) What does it mean to you to be an Israeli artist?
To be an Israeli artist for me means to have some special advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, I feel that as an Israeli artist I am a part of a unique and diverse culture which shapes my ideas and inspires me. On the other hand, I feel that despite the fact that art is borderless, I do have limitations as an Israeli because there are places which I can’t approach.
7) What does it mean to you to have an organization like AICF available in the art world?
I see a great importance in an organization that looks after young, emerging talents from the entire spectrum of the arts. The feeling of a backbone that stands behind these artists in their beginning of their long journey is a crucial factor. Practicing art requires a lot of time and experience for an artist to become established, both financially and artistically. I can tell from my side that the support I received from AICF highly encouraged me to continue towards a Master Degree.
