Dora Holzhandler (22 March 1928 – 8 October 2015) was a French-born British
painter based in London.
Biography
Dora Holzhandler was born to Jewish-Polish parents (Sehia Holzhandler, handbag maker and Ruchla Rocheman a singer and seamstress)
in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, France, and came to live in London when she was six years old.
In 1941 she moved to
Suffolk with her mother and attended the
West Suffolk County School in
Bury St Edmunds.
She painted in the
naive style, influenced by
Marc Chagall and
Henri Matisse
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, and sculptur ...
.
Her work often incorporates repeated iconography, mystical and religious symbolism influenced by her personal beliefs. She was discovered by artist
Victor Pasmore
Edwin John Victor Pasmore, CH, CBE (3 December 190823 January 1998) was a British artist. He pioneered the development of abstract art in Britain in the 1940s and 1950s.
Early life
Pasmore was born in Chelsham, Surrey, on 3 December 1908. He ...
in 1947 and had her first exhibition in 1954.
Her paintings are on display in the Museum of Modern Art in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and the
Jewish Museum London
The Jewish Museum London is a museum of British Jewish life, history and identity. The museum is situated in Camden Town in the London Borough of Camden, North London. It is a place for people of all faiths to explore Jewish history, culture, ...
.
Holzhandler befriended violinist
Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and violist.
His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and he has since expanded into jazz, klezmer, and other music genres.
Early life and background
Kenn ...
in 2012 after inviting him to a gallery private view, later painting his portrait.
Personal life
Holzhandler lived in London with her husband George Swinford, whom she married in 1950 after meeting at London's
Anglo-French Art Centre.
She developed a dual belief in the Jewish and Buddhist faiths.
She died on 8 October 2015 at the age of 87.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holzhandler, Dora
1928 births
2015 deaths
British women painters
20th-century British painters
21st-century British painters
Painters from London
20th-century British women artists
21st-century British women artists
French emigrants to the United Kingdom
20th-century women painters
21st-century women painters