| Avigdor Arikha was born in 1929 in Romania. His family faced forced deportation in 1941 to the concentration camps of Western Ukraine, where his father died. He managed to survive along with his sister and settled in Palestine in 1944. From 1946 to 1949, he attended the Bezalel School of Art in Jerusalem. In 1949 he was awarded a scholarship which enabled him to study at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, where he learned the fresco technique. Since 1954, Arikha has continuously resided in Paris. Arikha paints and draws meticulously observed portraits, nudes and still lifes. A skilled printmaker, his etchings and lithographs are just as insightful. He has written extensively on art and art theory, with books on Ingres and Poussin to name a few. Arikha exhibits internationally and is included in major private and public collections. His recent exhibits include; The British Museum, Centre Pompidou, The Museum of art San Francisco and at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. |
