Ohad Tsfati
Through mixing calligraphy, aikido, and taichi dive into his drawing process as a way (Michi) to discover the painting that accrues.
Ohad Tsfati (born 1960 in Tel Aviv) is a contemporary Israeli artist who creates sculptural objects from hand-made paper. Employing a method similar to the Japanese technique for creating washi, Tsfati mixes Mulberry bark to create heavily textured paper pulp he then manipulates into different forms to create wall hangings, bowls, and light fixtures. Lastly, the works are pigmented with natural dyes to achieve a richly pigmented surface reminiscent of the natural world from which the works take inspiration.
30 years ago Ohad Tsfati visits Tokyo for a few weeks during his studies at Avni institute of art, Tel Aviv, Israel. Where he decided to spend his next 26 years. The concept of learning as we know it in the west is transformed into a "way" Michi, in Japanese. Through mixing calligraphy, aikido, and taichi Ohad dive into his drawing process as a way (Michi) to discover the painting that accrues. These days, using a common Japanese plant called Kozo, Ohad creates natural tannins and fibers as he creates his "Canvas" and draws his action paintings on, using natural extractions.
Ohad Tsfati's works evoke a mysterious narrative that moves along different conceptual axes: nature and culture, reality and dreams, life and death; embodying a common language that encompasses and expresses the inner worlds of both parties. The works consist of a multitude of objects produced through an intuitive process. And the objects are light in weight and vary in texture and appearance, reflecting the tension between individuals and the social structures they share. In each object, life follows a different path within it.
- Art: Ohad Tsfati