Siona Shimshi (also "Ziona"; he, ציונה שמשי; July 14, 1939 – October 16, 2018) was an Israeli painter,

sculptress Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable s ...

ceramist Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is one of the visual arts. Whil ...

, and

textile designer Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

Early life

Shimshi was born in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, to Haya Rivka (Kuklanski) and Avraham Shimshi, who had immigrated to Mandate Palestine from

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

in 1933. She married Jachin Hirsch, an Israeli filmmaker, in 1961. She studied at the

Avni Institute Avni Institute of Art and Design is an Israeli art school located in Tel Aviv. History The Studia school (later Avni Institute) was established in 1936 by a group of Jewish artists. Among the founders was Aharon Avni, who became the school's fir ...

in Tel Aviv from 1956 to 1959, with

Avigdor Stematsky Avigdor Stematsky (1908–1989) was a Russian Empire-born Israeli painter. He is considered one of the pioneers of Israeli abstract art. Biography Stematsky was born in 1908 in Odessa. He joined the Massad group in Tel Aviv. In 1929, he went to P ...

, Yehezkel Streichman, and Moshe Mokady. She also studied ceramics at

Alfred University Alfred University is a private university in Alfred (village), New York, Alfred, New York. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The ...

in New York, from 1959 to 1962, as well as at Greenwich House Pottery in New York City.

Art career

In 1965, she was a co-founder of a group of artists called the "10+ Group", along with artists

Buky Schwartz Buky Schwartz (pronounced BOO-kie) ( he, בוקי שוורץ; June 16, 1932 – September 1, 2009, Tel Aviv) was an Israeli sculptor and video artist. Biography Moshe (Buky) Schwartz was born in Jerusalem. From 1956 to 1958, he studied sculpture ...

, Raffi Lavie, and others. Shimshi was head of the Ceramic Design Department and taught as a professor at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, from 1979 to 1987. In 1979, she designed the set for a performance of '' A Simple Story'' by

Shmuel Yosef Agnon Shmuel Yosef Agnon ( he, שמואל יוסף עגנון; July 17, 1888 – February 17, 1970) was one of the central figures of modern Hebrew literature. In Hebrew, he is known by the acronym Shai Agnon (). In English, his works are published und ...

for the Habimah Theater in Tel Aviv. In 1993–94, she was the curator of an exhibition of

Dora Gad Dora Gad (Hebrew דורה גד; b. 1912, d. 31 December 2003) was an Israeli interior designer, whose work had significant influence on the development of modern Israeli architecture. Biography Dora Siegel (later Gad) was born in Câmpulung, Rom ...

, in the

Tel Aviv Museum of Art Tel Aviv Museum of Art ( he, מוזיאון תל אביב לאמנות ''Muzeon Tel Aviv Leomanut'') is an art museum in Tel Aviv, Israel. The museum is dedicated to the preservation and display of modern and contemporary art from Israel and aroun ...

. Among her creations are a work in wood that is exhibited in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, a wall hanging at the Tel Aviv Hilton, a 1998 sculpture for Israel's 50th anniversary that is exhibited in

Holon Holon ( he, חוֹלוֹן ) is a city on the central coastal strip of Israel, south of Tel Aviv. Holon is part of the metropolitan Gush Dan area. In it had a population of . Holon has the second-largest industrial zone in Israel, after Haifa. ...

, glass walls at

Kennedy Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Ne ...

in New York City, and a 2004 portrait painting of Natan Alterman that appears on the facade of

Tel Aviv City Hall Tel Aviv City Hall ( he, בית עיריית תל אביב ''Beit Iriyat Tel Aviv'') is the municipal government center of Tel Aviv, Israel. It houses the mayor's office, the meeting chambers and offices of the Tel Aviv City Council. History ...

Awards

Shimshi was awarded the 1988 Arie El Hanani Prize by the Joshua Rabinowitz Foundation for Arts, for her sculpture in Goren Goldstein Park in Tel Aviv.

Death

Shimshi died in Tel Aviv on October 16, 2018, at the age of 79. She was buried at Yarkon Cemetery.

References

External links