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Born in 1932, Lithuania.
Childhood and adolescence spent in Siberia (deportation).
Studies:
Moscow "1905" Art School
1954-60 Surikoff Art Academy (Moscow).
1958-72 Exhibitions in USSR (two personal exhibitions in Moscow) as well
as outside its frontiers
Since 1972, lives and works in Jerusalem, Israel.
1975-76 Chairman of the Jerusalem artists and sculpturs asosiatiom Regular
personal exhibitions in Israel, North America, Germany, Switzerland, France,
Russia.
1972-83 Teaching art for in Haifa and Jerusalem Universities and Bezalel
Art Academy
1991-99 Manager of Sanur Artists' Village.
2001- Recipient of Jerusalem Ish- Shalom Fund "For special contribution
to the development of art".
2002 Exhibited in Moscow Museum of Modern Art, "After 30 Years"
2005 Elected as honorary member of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts
2009 Exhibited in State Tretyakov Gallery - Retrospective
2014 Exhibition "Unconscious reality", Moscow Museum of Modern Art (MMOMA)
Passed away 14.2.2020 Jerusalem, Israel.
43 works of Aharon April are in various museums in the world. |
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Aharon April - Аарон Априль - אהרון אפריל
Articles & Art
(click on the title to read
נא ללחוץ על כותרת של הכתבה)
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 BATTLE
WITH LIGHT
Evgraf Konchin 'KULTURA' (CULTURE)
N 24 (76370 June 26- July 2, 2008
RETROSPECTWE OF AHARON APRIL IN THE STATE TRETYAROV
GALLERY
The exhibition of paintings and watercolors
of Aharon April, opened in the State Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky
Val, is by no means uniform. It should be divided in two different,
even opposite parts - the "soviet" and "Israeli". The same may be
done with the artist's biography - up to his emigration in 1972 and
after it. His life took a sharp turn, as well ass his creative works.
But he is used to sudden turns.
The "Leader" 1997-1999 |
Aharon April was born in1932 in Lithuania in the town of Vilkavishkis.
He spent his childhood . Aharon always mentions it in every biographical
reference. Though the geographic proximity to the great Russian landscape
painter had no influence on April's works.
In June 1941 his family was deported at first to Altay area, and then
beyond the Polar Cirkie to the settlement on the river Lana, and this
probably saved Aharon April from death during the fascist occupation.
The
future artist finished secondary school in Jakutsk, studied in the
art School "1905", and finished the Surikov Art Academy - both in
Moscow. Although between two metropolitan "universities"- the second
deportation to Jakutia has happened, it was just on the eve of the
"Doctors Plot", in 1951.
From the point of view of time and especially of the obligatory official
subjects, the early Aharon April may be attributed to "shestidesiatniks".
These are traditional "In the new lands", "A tractor driver having
a meal" or "Fishermen of Narym", though the painting "Execution" of
1961 presented still "forbidden" at that time side of Soviet "Gulag"
reality and had a great effect. Just this work marked Aharon April
as one of interesting and promising, courageous painters. Today this
painting is exhibited at the Museum of Arts in Yad Vashem, Jerusalem.
In 1972 Aharon April emigrated to Israel. There he made both fast
official career and career as a painter. He was elected the chairmen
of the Painters and Sculptors Association, he is a member of various
charity organizations, including international. He taught painting
and drawing in Universities of Israel, worked in Paris. He paint a
lot, participates in personal exhibitions in Israel, Canada, France,
Switzerland, USA. In Russia at present Aharon April is entirely included
into modern art.
In 2002 his exhibition was held in the Moscow Museum of Modern Art,
in 2005 he is elected Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts.
The present retrospective of works at the State Tretyakov Gallery
may be also Regarded as a sign of attention and respect.
The exhibition presents about a hundred works, painted over the last
50 years. A part of them was painted still in the Soviet Union, but
most in Israel. These two uneven halves are absolutely incompatible,
alien to each other, contrary from the point of view of style, but
mainly by reception of the world. Earlier - in Siberia, Jakutia, in
Moscow - there was one painter, and now - an absolutely different,
foreign, definitely not attached to the soviet time, alien to him
now and incapable even to raise nostalgic memories. Let bygones, be
bygones and Aharon April must have had to start in 1972 from zero.
Both - his life and his creative work. Though he took with him the
good professional Surikov school.
Aharon
April of today amazes by his multicoloured, energetic, passionate
paintings. Vigorous ,comprehensive palette, colours fighting each
other or embracing each other capture spectators, making them wonder,
rejoice, feel deeply.
What are the subjects of his works? At first sight it is fairly difficult
to define them. Some of them, according to the names, must be biblical,
some worldly. But what is the difference of the "Song of Songs" series
or "Lot and his daughters", or "A psalm is born", from "The prayer",
"Awakening", "After the masquerade", A black horse" ,Something about
Grandfathers", "Uneasy days"? All these works, both watercolours and
paintings may be regarded as one painting "Unconscious reality", futuristic
abstraction (1994).
The essence of April's works is rather violence of colour and its
perception in connection with the world, the universe, the human being,
than some real, slighty caught things and images. April's paintings
are so multimeaningful, multifaced and fantastic that they though
they correspond to the name given them by the artist, you yourself
could give it ten or twenty other names according to your own feelings.
We find quite realistic or relatively realistic works with understandable
plot, such as "The family", "Eve of Sabbath. Congregating at the Wailing
Wall", "Expecting the heir", "A house in Jerusalem", "Flowers against
the white", portraits of relatives, landscapes of Israel... But here
we also see fantastic palette, expression, passion and the sense,
found by the painter, wildness of colours, tornado, and the artist
finds himself his world, his purpose in the reach colours.
Aharon April himself explains his colour obsessions:"In Jerusalem
the light is unique - sometimes even cruel. It actively interferes
with painting... Here, in Jerusalem happens that light kills the colours.,
it sometimes doesn't allow to perceive reality. My goal was to win
this contest with the light"
To tell the truth, I'm not sure that the painter conquered this "unique
Jerusalem light", Because he himself is that light This light is within
himself it's the essence, the destiny, the vocation, the meaning of
his art. And victory over such light is impossible. Do we really need
it?!
I know Aharon April for about forty years. I deeply admire his present
work, his strong character his courage, the ability to overcome himself.
I was happy to meet him again.
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