Eliyahu

I am a contemporary painter born in Paris to Israeli parents and raised in Thailand, India, and Spain. Growing up and attending international schools across Asia and Europe immersed me in different languages, traditions, and ways of seeing. This international upbringing shaped my sensitivity to identity, belonging, and emotional nuance, and continues to inform my artistic practice.

From Bangkok and New Delhi to Madrid, each environment introduced a different relationship with colour, imagery, and expression. Moving between cultures encouraged close observation and an awareness of how people communicate beyond words. These experiences developed a visual curiosity that carries into my paintings, where contrasting forms and perspectives come together.

My artistic journey began in 2002, when drawing became both refuge and a personal language that travelled with me across borders. I was constantly sketching, instinctively returning to eyes and observing the unspoken exchanges around me. I became fascinated by how a single glance could reveal vulnerability, distance, intimacy, or recognition. Eyes offered my earliest understanding of nonverbal communication—small, intricate structures capable of holding vast emotional worlds.

This early fascination evolved into a defining motif within my work. As my practice developed into contemporary painting, the gaze took on new dimensions through colour, texture, scale, and composition. Today, I move between realism, geometric abstraction, and pure abstraction, bringing precise observation into dialogue with intuitive expression.

My Eyes series investigates identity, perception, and the human gaze. Using the eye as both subject and symbol, I explore how we see, how we are seen, and what remains unspoken in between. Each painting invites a personal encounter, leaving space for viewers to bring their own memories, emotions, and interpretations into the work.

Colour plays a central role in my practice, guided by emotional resonance rather than strict representation. Bold contrasts, saturated hues, and layered textures give form to impressions gathered across cultures and lived experiences. Through painting, I explore the meeting point between the worlds we inhabit and those we hold within, inviting moments of shared awareness, recognition, and presence.

Artist Statement

My journey as an artist changed profoundly after a life-altering traffic accident in which I was briefly declared clinically dead. That experience became a catalyst for exploring themes of rebirth, resilience, and the transient beauty of existence. It also led me to publish a book reflecting on the accident and its impact on my life. Through vivid color and layered symbolism, I create art that encourages contemplation and meaningful conversation.