Painting with stones Ilana Shafir

Painting with stones Ilana Shafir (born 1924). Peacocks. (Stone mosaic by Yugoslavian born artist Ilana Shafir)

Painting with stones Ilana Shafir. Yugoslavian born 88 year-old artist Ilana Shafir, originally from Sarajevo, now lives in Ashkelon, Israel. Shafir is a self-taught mosaic artist. Her mosaics are truly inspirational, and Shafir is especially known for her “spontaneous mosaic,” working directly on a piece without sketches. Her different organically-shaped materials include: ceramic pieces, glass fragments, natural stones of all kinds and shapes, corals, seashells. The artist paints with stones and composes with the shapes and lines that are inherent in the found materials. Ilana Shafir has received a lifetime achievement award from the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) for her many decades of compelling mosaic works.

Temples Libby Hintz. Stone mosaic by Yugoslavian born artist Ilana Shafir

Ilana Shafir wanted to become an artist since an early age, though her parents didn’t support such interest, reasonably thinking that career of an artist is not for woman. At least in those difficult days. While Ilana was studying at the High School for Architecture began WWII. In 1941, the family of Shafir moved to the city of Kula, to escape from Nazi. There she continued painting, and her canvas used to be covers of old books. Painted by her landscapes and portraits of locals helped to survive. When the war ended, Ilana Shafir left Croatia for Israel, and was able to continue studying.