Marek Yanay
Marek Yanai was born in Germany in 1946. He made aliya to Israel from Poland in 1957.
He graduated in Fine Arts and Design at Bezalel Academy Jerusalem in 1970, student of Yosef Hirsch.
1969-71 he founded and directed the “Teddy” Puppet Theatre.
1973-74 studied the techniques of the Old Masters in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Art, Madrid.
From 1996 until the present day a Senior Lecturer in the Bezalel academy Jerusalem and also teaches in his studio.
The principle of the studio’s activities is painting from observation. The studio is characterized by a great respect for the craft in painting : drawing as a basis for painting, line and mark, composition, color theory, faithfulness to the unwritten laws passed down through the centuries that are the foundations of art. Repeated exercise of craftsmanship as a value leading to personal interpretation and creative self expression in a variety of media : drawing, oil and watercolor. Work is both in the studio space and, ‘en plein air’ in the Jerusalem landscape. The studio promotes working as a group to induce mutual learning and fertile creativity, while encouraging personal choice in artistic expression.
Lives and works in Jerusalem, father to Michael and Noa.
One Man Exhibitions
2015 “Marek Yanai”, Hacubia, Jerusalem. Curator: Noa bachner, Ella Cohen Vansover
2014 “Jerusalem double perspective”, Matsart Gallery, Jerusalem. Curator: Oren Migdal
2014 “Video screenings of water color portraits demos”, Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem.
2004 Portraits, Artists’ House, Jerusalem. Curator: Orna Lipshitz Beckman.
2004 Recent works, Mayanot Gallery, Jerusalem. Curator: Yael Ganessia
1997 Heads in watercolor, Artists’ House, Jerusalem.
1994 Carol Schwartz Gallery, Philadelphia.
1993 Mayanot Gallery, Jerusalem.
1991 Artists’ House, Jerusalem.
1990 S.D. Gallery, Lodz, Poland.
1989 Carol Schwartz Gallery, Philadelphia.
1988 Mayanot Gallery, Jerusalem
1987 Shdema Gallery, tel Aviv
1984 Ella Gallery, Jerusalem.
1983 Profile Gallery, New York.
1982 VII Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida.
1982 Engel Gallery, New York.
1981 Engel Gallery, New York.
1979 Hadassah K. Gallery, Tel Aviv.
1979 Artists’ House, Jerusalem.
1977 Hadassah K. Gallery, Tel Aviv.
1975 Hadassah K. Gallery, Tel Aviv.
1974 Spectrum Gallery, Vienna.
Group Exibitions
2015 Salon Hacubia 2015″, Hacubia, Jerusalem. Curator: Dan Orimian, Ella Cohen Vansover
2015 “Aquarelle”, Hakubiya, Jerusalem.
2014 “They paint flowers”, Jaffa Art Salon, Tel Aviv. Curator: Amit Cabessa
2008 “Jerusalem face fragments, The Jerusalem Artists House, Curators: Zvi Tolkovsky, Israel Hadany, Hedva Shemesh
2007 ”Eyes” Illustration exhibition, I.C.C. Jerusalem.
2006 ”Age of Innocence”, Israel Museum. Curator: Shlomit Steinberg
2005 ”Chaim”, Ramat Gan Museum Curator: Hannah Kopler
2004 ”Self portrait” Yakar Gallery, Jerusalem. Curator: Ann Sassoon.
2003 ”Homage to Joseph Hirsch”, Jerusalem Theatre. Curator: Helen Bar Lev
2003 ”Homage to Joseph Hirsch”, Artists’ House, Haifa
2002 ”Nine Measures” Yakar Gallery, Jerusalem. Curator: Ann Sassoon.
2001 ”Without Borders”, Villa Grenzenloss, Potsdam.
2000 ”The Third Color”, Artists’ House, Jerusalem. Curator: Ayana Friedman.
1998 ”Eye Level”, Artists’ House, Jerusalem. Curator: Nella Cassuto
Illustrations for books and magazines:
Paintings for the film “Nuzhat” (director: Judd Neeman), Cover and illustrations for the book “Unique Journey” (Chava Pinhas-Cohen), Book cover: “The Book in the Jewish World, 1700-1900” (Zeev Gries), Book cover: “The Book as Cultural Feathers” ( Prof. Zeev Gris, Hillel Ben Chaim), Book cover: “Divorced” (T.Mendelson), Cover and illustrations for the weekly “Davar”, Illustrations for “Monitin” magazine, Cover for “Moment” magazine, Illustrations for “Einaim” Magazine.
Prizes:
Mordechai Ish Shalom prize for a special contribution to art 2003, Shoshana Ish Shalom prize for artistic creation 1997, Fenniger prize for young artists 1967.
