David Gerstein is an Israeli artist who is particularly known for his multi-layered 3D wall sculptures. He now lives and works in Tel Aviv, Israel. The artist can look back on over 40 years of worldwide success with exhibitions and shows from New York to Singapore. He celebrates his 80th birthday in 2024. Born in Jerusalem/Israel, David Gerstein is today the best-known artist in his country.
In the early 1970s, David Gerstein created a series of wall sculptures entitled “Sculpted Figures”. He works with wood, bronze and metal in a traditional, three-dimensional way, with a unique style that is characterized by his playful way of working with his motifs. His hand-painted, colorful works are full of humor and attempt to describe daily, modern, urban life. By combining several layers, a three-dimensional layered sculpture is created from the two-dimensional elements, which always reveals different details depending on the viewing angle. David Gerstein’s wall sculptures and objects are now almost all made of metal, such as his famous butterflies.
The artist was fascinated by the material for his exhibitions from a very early stage. In addition to his well-known metal wall sculptures, David Gerstein also creates smaller objects, paintings, graphics and huge sculptures and objects in public places. Children in Jerusalem, for example, enjoy his art in the form of a playground in Weil Park.
David Gerstein studied art between 1965 and 1970 in Israel (Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem), France (École des Beaux-Arts, Paris), the USA (Art Students League of New York) and England (St. Martins School of Art, London), where he subsequently completed his doctorate.
In his multi-layered works, the boundary between the two-dimensionality of painting and the three-dimensionality of sculpture becomes blurred. David Gerstein’s works are particularly captivating due to their vibrant colors. People in motion are most frequently found as the central theme of his sculptures and objects and as a starting point; tourists on 5th Avenue, marathon runners, cyclists, rollercoasters or dancing butterflies almost make the viewer swing along with them. The steel sculptures are now cut out using laser technology. To ensure that the sculptures give pleasure for a long time, especially outdoors, they are painted with Standohyd Plus, a special paint from the German company Standox that is recommended for car repairs. Countless details that allow the motif to be explored and investigated again and again round off his objects, which have experienced a solid price development in recent years.
David Gerstein says: “For me, art is something simple and basic, like bread and water and air. I have heard about the creative agonies of artists, but I feel that I create naturally, like a fruit growing on a tree. I also see my works as fruit that the tree has sprouted. I don’t have to invent anything or rack my brains over how to process a grandiose idea: Things just grow on their own. They flow when I get up in the morning, drive my car, talk. Then I come to the studio and work, and maybe I grow my fruit: a piece of fruit to which nature gives enticing color and shape, so that birds come and feed on it and scatter its seeds. In other words, the enticing color and shape have function and meaning.”
“The shapes and colors in my work are also an enticement to communicate. If you are tempted to eat the fruit, you will discover that it also contains vitamins. The cut-outs also contain vitamins. Human Circle”, for example, looks like a giant flower or a big bouquet of flowers, but underneath it is the idea that we come from nowhere and go nowhere, and in the meantime we run around in circles chasing our tails. If you want to look at it as a decorative bouquet, you’re okay with that. If you look at the figures that make up the “circle of people”, you will realize that they are not beautiful. In fact, they are even ugly, but the overall picture is colorful and seductive”.
Nature and urbanity play an equally important role in David Gerstein’s work. His works are influenced both biographically and by the surroundings in his home city of Tel Aviv. Numerous exhibitions worldwide bear witness to his creativity.
1944 Born in Jerusalem
1965-66 Studied at the Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem
1966-68 Studied at the Ecole Supérieure des Beaux Arts, Paris
1968-70 Studied at the Arts Students League, New York
1973-74 Post graduate studies at St. Martin’s School of Art, London
1971-85 Senior Lecturer at the Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem
Selected Public Projects:
1999 Homage to Alterman, Dizingoff Street, Tel Aviv
2000 Audience, Jerusalem Theater, Jerusalem
2001 “Day and Night”, Bezeq Lobby, Azrieli Center, Tel Aviv.
2001 “Colors from Nature”, Horev Center, Haifa.
2001 “Things that come from the Heart” (sculptures), Ramat Alon Park, Haifa.
2002 “Soul Bird”, Holon.
2002 “Digital Zabar”, Waddi Nisnass, Haifa.
2002 “No Favorite Color”, 3 months Installation, Kassel, Germany.
2002 “Shalom On Israel”, Rabin Building, Judaism Center, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
2003 “Blue Mermaid”, Kiryat Yam, Haifa.
2003 “Rush Hour”, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
2005 “Sun Rise” High School, Ashkelon, Israel
2005 “Butterflies”, Harel, High School, Mevaseret, Israel
2007 “Ohel Moed”, Sculpture Park, kibbutz Hatzerim, negev, Israel
2008 “Momentum” CBD, Singapore
2008 “Star City”, Seoul, Korea
2008 “Field of Butterflies” Loby of “Beit Reich”, Tel AViv, Israel
2008 6 sculptures (“Sport Island”), Netania, Israel
2011 Hyundai Department Store, Seoul,S.Korea – Outdoor Printed Screens around the renovated ruilding, 60×300 meter
2014 Hsinchu County Stadium
2014 3 public art works – Loby of Taikang Residence of Elderly People, Beijing, China
2015 “Presence-Present”, Gerstein / Alana Ruben, Jerusalem Biannale of Contemporary Jewish Art
2014 3 Free Standing Sculptures for Athletic Stadium, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Public Project
2014 2 Wall Sculptures for Lobby at Azriely Center, Holon, Israel, Public Project
2014 Award by the international commitee of the olimpic games
2016 Special gift given to the Pope Franciskus by the artist
2016 “Windows” – 4 sculptures in Modiin, Israel
2017 5 sculptures in National Park, Guizhou, China
2017 “Journey Through My Gardens” – Loby of Taikang’s Residence, Beijing, China
Selected Solo Shows since 2015:
2015 Galerie Dárt Perbet, Annecy, France
2015 The Sherover Cultural Center (YES Planet), Jerusalem, Israel
2015 Galerie Monmartre, Paris, France
2015 Permanent Show, Binyaney Hauma, Jerusalem, Israel
2015 Miva Gallery, Stockholm
2016 Shenzen Mixc
2016 Radesky Gallery, Liege, Belgium
2016 Gana Gallery, Busan, S. Korea
2016 Vera International Art Festival, Lisbon, Portugal
2016 Galeria D`Art Mar, Barcelona
2017 Kellerman Gallery, Dusseldorf, Germany
2017 Khpopulous Gallery, Mykonos, Greece
2018 “LAYERS” – Froots Gallery at 978 Beijing, China
2018 Galerie Duret, Paris, Brussels, France
2019 “SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL” – Froots Gallery, Shanghai, China
2019 “BACK & FORTH” – Miva Gallery, Gothenburg / Malmö, Sweden
2019 Belle Gallery, Denmark
2019 “Colors of Joy” Art true gallery,Taipei & Tainan Taiwan
2019 ”Joy of Life” Jingdezhen ,China
2019 “Levinsky college of education,Tel Aviv ,Israel
2020 “U Turn” artists house ,Tel Aviv ,Israel
2020 Duret gallery,Paris, France & Brussels Belgium,
2021 Diyuan Museum of art, Ginkgo, China,
2021 Asir Museum of art, Taipei, Taiwan
2021 Chuzot Hayotser ,Jerusalem, Israel
2022 “Such & Such” Lushy gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
2024 To be announced.
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