View from Jaffa to Tel Aviv, by Alex Levin

“Painting is – and always has been – my life.” These are the words with which Alex Levin expressed himself as we talked.

Alex was born in Kiev, Ukraine in 1975 where he attended school. From the age of six, he became absorbed in expressing himself through drawing and painting. Because of this ever developing talent, part of his study time, even at this young age, was spent at the National Art Academy. This passion also brought forth essentials of his Jewish identity and so, aged just 16, he decided to immigrate to Israel.

He filled in the years prior to his army service under the tutelage of Professor Baruch Elron, then chairman of the Union of Artists of Israel, as well as odd-jobbing. Alex was captivated by his Jewish background and drawn to this even more under Elron’s teaching. The style he then developed was one of fantastic realism.

In 1997 he completed three years of army service and embarked on an industrial and web design study program. However, he still continued to paint and develop these techniques under Elron’s watchful eye and ongoing encouragement until Elron passed away in 2006.

It was always the canvas and the brushes that called him, and under the tutelage of Elron he widened his abilities working in oil and tempera as well as acrylic, pencil and charcoal in both surrealistic and realistic styles. His paintings of our Jewish heritage are a highly expressive mixture of both styles.

Alex explains his devotion to this subject by saying that he discovered Jewish art to be the most significant of teaching traditions that Jews employ in order to pass down their cultural and religious identities. “As I let the paint come off my brush, I am fully aware that I am carrying on the ancient tradition of my people," he says. Indeed, his Judaic passion has been recognized, as he received an award for contributions to Judaic art for the Knesset in 2007.

In 2002 he displayed some of his work in an exhibition called “Venice through the Mask’s Eye” and this led to his being awarded a scholarship by the Venice Academy of Art. He then devoted himself to these paintings, recreating colorful, romantic works of the Venetian Carnival that continue to delight the eyes of many. One of the reviews said, “Alex has painted this unique event making another mirror of time. What is painting but a mirror?”

This mirroring style is what first caught my attention. Somebody forwarded me an online video of Alex’s paintings of Tel Aviv which show the city as a gathering place for young people – so full of life and happiness - something that we need in this country. I wanted to know what it was that drove a painter to capture this aspect of the atmosphere that so instilled enjoyment by bringing the viewer into the streets of the new Tel Aviv. Through the internet I contacted him and heard about his background, which led to this article. I could hear the smile in his voice as he answered my question regarding Tel Aviv. “Of course Tel Aviv is now a city for the young and in love!”

Over the years Alex has exhibited across the world, and his paintings have been purchased for numerous private, corporate and institutional collections catching especially the eyes of both stage and music personalities such as Richard Gere, Madonna and Oscar Peterson.

Wanting to know a little more of his personal life I enquired if he was married and had a family.

 “Of course,” he continued “and I have a little daughter of two.”

 “Does she take an interest yet in your work?”

 “Yes, the other day I told her ' This is a horse' and she replied, 'No it is a dog!' ”

This was indeed a lighter note on which to close the interview.

Israel, Belgium, USA, Australia and Russia and have been reproduced on the covers of the books and other printed materials.

Friday morning on Nahalat Benjamin