Shelest, Anatoly Shmuel

Anatoly Shmuel Shelest (born 1957, Kiev ) is an Israeli artist . He works in painting , easel graphics , known for his graphic installations .

Content

Biography

Kiev

Born in Kiev in 1957 in a Ukrainian family. In 1983 he entered the graphic department of the Kiev Art Institute (specializing in book graphics ).

Tashkent

In 1986, after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant , he moved with his family to Tashkent , where he completed his education at the Tashkent Theater and Art Institute . In 1989 he received a second degree in book graphics - a diploma with honors.

At the same time, in the second half of the 80s, in Tashkent , Anatoly Shelest began to work professionally. He collaborated with the publishing house named after Gafur Gulyam ( Tashkent , Uzbekistan ) as a book graphic. At the same time, he worked a lot in easel graphics . From the beginning of the 90s to the 2000s he created many graphic series inspired by oriental poetry: “The essence of the jug”, “Dances of the dervishes”, “Manifestation of the obvious”, “Sword and kalam ”, “Methods of protection”, etc. Many works of this period are in prestigious private collections: the collection of the famous orientalist Dr. Annemarie Schimmel ( Bonn , Germany ), the collection of Prince Agahan , as well as in the collection of the National Bank of Uzbekistan , the National Art Museum of Ukraine , in the Art Fund of Uzbekistan .

Despite the fact that easel graphics prevail in the artist’s work, he periodically turns to painting. So, in the late 90s in the large picturesque series “The Spirit of Sound” and “The Power of Nature” appeared.

Germany

In 2000 - moved with his family to Germany , the city of Koblenz . Moving to Germany was a turning point in the artist's worldview: he, previously fascinated by Eastern philosophy, began to become interested in Judaism . The book “ Kabbalah and Sufism ”, conceived by him in collaboration with Annemarie Schimmel , was to combine two mystical traditions through illustrations and textbooks.

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 changed the plans of the Kezel publishing house ( Munich , Germany ), and the book, to which more than four hundred illustrations have already been made, never saw the light of day. But these graphic sheets, made using the monotype technique, formed the basis of the installations : “Inspiration on the subject of Kabbalah ” and “In Search of the Blue Thread”.

“... Anatoly Shelest is an amazing artist. In all that he does - be it figurative works or his monotypes - there are always several visual strata, and behind these strata there is a deep sacred secret. For my long life, I have not often seen in my contemporary artist the same depth that we see in the great poetry of Rumi, Dehlevi, or even in the texts of biblical prophets. ”
From a speech by Prof. Dr. Annemarie Schimmel at the opening of Anatoly Shelest's “Wanderings” exhibition, Alten Burg, Koblenz, 2001

In 2003-2004, the artist created the installation “The Gate of Prayer”, and in 2005 - the installation “Trees of Life”. In all these works, made in collaboration with his wife - art critic Marina Shelest, he uses the original pictorial move.

“... He opens his pictorial foremother, and with its help creates a completely unusual textual canvas. Creates an absolutely unique artistic device that is not similar to any of the known methods of artistic expression. But what at first glance looks like a personal revelation embodied by Shelest already claims to be a universal pictorial language. ”
From an article by Dr. Johannes Wachten, Director of the Jewish Museum, Frankfurt , 2004

In the process of working on these projects, Anatoly Shelest is increasingly approaching the Jewish tradition, which ultimately led to the family's decision to repatriate to Israel .

“In the works of Anatoly Shelest, the connection between earth and heaven becomes obvious, his installations give the viewer meaning and absolute confidence that the promises of the Almighty are valid, that the Divine plan is fulfilled and the promise continues to this day. In his approach to art, Shelest follows the Jewish religious tradition, but at the same time, he opens up his own artistic language - unusual and modern. In the works of Anatoly Shelest, Creation is felt as a living Process and the idea that Each is part of the Whole, and the Whole is part of Eternity becomes apparent. ”
From an article by Dr. Beata Reifenschait, Director of the Ludwig Museum , Koblenz , 2004

Israel

In 2006, the family repatriated to Israel . In Israel, the artist studies at the Mahon Meir yeshiva and at the Mahanaim Center for Jewish Education, in 2007 she undergoes the giyur procedure and takes the Jewish name Shmuel.

The artist continues to work on Jewish topics, using modern forms of expression - the installation of “ Sukkah ” in Maale Adumim , 2006, the installation of “The Gate” in “Beit Haut Hutsar”, Jerusalem , 2007, the exhibition “Parallels”, gallery “ Skizza ”-“ Beit From a-Mucar ”, Jerusalem , 2008.

“The peculiarity of Jewish culture is in the connection between the finite and the infinite, the ordinary and the most complex. And this moment is so captured and expressed by artistic means in Shelest’s works that I don’t know whether the Jewish idea of combining the finite and the infinite, the combination of the incompatible, can be expressed more fully. For me, this is something completely new and similar to a person’s attempt to become an accomplice in creation. In the work of Shelest, creativity and Creation combine naturally and succinctly. ”
From the speech of Rabbi Zeev Meshkov at the closing of the exhibition “In Search of the Blue Thread”, National Museum of Ukraine , Kiev , 2004

Since 2008, the artist began work on the picturesque series "Jewish Cart", in which he sets out in a metaphorical form the endless history of Jewish wanderings. The works formed the basis of the project of the Skitzza Gallery - The Wanderings of the Sons of Israel, the implementation of which was successfully launched in 2011 by three exhibitions in Germany (curators Marina Genkina and Marina Shelest). He is currently working on a series of graphical installations with the working title “Interpretation of Texts”.

Family

Since 1981, married to Marina Shelest (nee Leibovich). He has three sons born in 1982, 1983 and 1993.

Currently lives in Ma'ale Adumim , the artist’s studio is located in the historical building “Beit from a Mutzar” in the center of Jerusalem .

Personal exhibitions

1990 - TheArt Gallery, Tashkent, Uzbekistan;
1992, 1993, 1998 - Gallery “Turtle and Violin”, Tashkent, Uzbekistan;
1994 - Tokashimaya Gallery Japan-Singapore; Kuala Lumpur;
1999 - Embassy of Germany, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; UN Mission in the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Alpha Gallery, Freiburg, Germany;
2000 - Exhibition Hall "Alten Burg", Koblenz, Germany;
2003 - Kugnus Gallery, Arnheim, Holland;
2006 - Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel;
2008 - “Skitstsa” - “Beit From a-Mucar”, Jerusalem, Israel;
2011 - “Skitstsa” - “Beit From a-Mucar”, Jerusalem, Israel;
2012 - “Skitstsa” - “Beit From a-Mucar”, Jerusalem, Israel.

Exhibitions with Marina Shelest

2002 - Exhibition Hall "Alten Burg", Koblenz, Germany;
2003 - Exhibition Hall "Haus Mitternich", Koblenz, Germany;
2004 - National Museum of Ukraine, Kiev; Synagogue “Beit Yakov”, Kiev, Ukraine;
2006 - Cultural Center “Maale Shimon”, Maale Adumim, Israel;
2007 - Gallery “Skitstsa” - “Beit From a-Mucar”, Jerusalem, Israel;
2010 - Gallery “Skitstsa” - “Beit from aMucar”, Jerusalem, Israel;

Selected Group Exhibitions

1984 - Exhibition Hall of the Union of Artists of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine;
1985 - A. Green Museum, Feodosia, Ukraine;
1990 - Academy of Arts, Leningrad, Russia;
1991 - Cinema House, Tashkent, Uzbekistan;
1994-1999 - Gallery "Turtle and Violin", Tashkent, Uzbekistan;
1995 - Central Exhibition Hall of the Union of Artists of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan;
1996 - International Exhibition "Asia-Art", Tashkent, Uzbekistan;
2006 - “The House of Heritage of Menachem Begin”, Jerusalem, Israel;
2007/08 “ArtSession-2007” - “Beit From a-Mucar”, Jerusalem, Israel;
2008 - Fourth International Graphics Biennale, St. Petersburg;
2009 - “From the countries of origin - repatriate artists from the countries of Central Asia” - “Skitstsa” - “Beit Ot ha-Mucar”, Jerusalem, Israel;
2009 - Tel Aviv - Jaffa Gallery, Israel, Jaffa;
2010- “Good Morning, Tel Aviv!” - Jaffa Gallery, Israel, Jaffa; “Black and White” - “Beit From a-Mucar”, Jerusalem, Israel; Contemporary Israeli Art, Drouot Montaigne, Paris, France; The Star of David, Rishon Lezion, Israel;
2011 - Knesset (Israeli Parliament), Jerusalem, Israel; “Night of Light”, Lighthouse Gallery, Old Jaffa, Israel; Jaffa Museum, Old Jaffa, Israel; The Menachim Begin Heritage House, Jerusalem, Israel; “The Wanderings of the Sons of Israel” - “Bunker Culture”, Cologne; New Synagogue, Mainz; New Synagogue, Chemnitz, Germany;
2012 - “A great miracle happened here”, “Skitstsa” Gallery - “Beit from a Mucar”, Jerusalem, Israel

Selected Publications

Documentary Films

“Evening at the Gallery”, Uzbektelefilm Studio, Uzbekistan, 1994
Wein und Honig in der Sukka ", ZDF infokanal, Germany, 2005

Video Stories

The main works of the artist

Anatoly Shmuel Shelest - installations (inaccessible link)
Anatoly Shmuel Shelest - selected graphics (inaccessible link)
Anatoly Shmuel Shelest - Jewish Cart series (inaccessible link)
Anatoly Shmuel Shelest - selected painting (inaccessible link)
Works by Anatoly Shelest on the Laukshtein website
אנטולי שלסט מצייר בהשראת המקרא

Links

Skizza Gallery Blog in LiveJournal