.png)
The artist Itamar Yehiel creates sculptural embroideries in which threads and textile structures become three-dimensional pictorial worlds. Through the interplay of material, light, and shadow, his works exist at the boundary between painting, relief, and sculpture.
interview
What inspired you to become an artist and when did you start taking art seriously?
I wanted to use visual language to express deep ideas I couldn't find words for. I've always deeply valued craft and embroidery, and I wanted to find a way to make it contemporary, to bring a modern layer to a traditional technique. That appreciation comes from my years of traveling, and from watching my mother and my aunts embroider.
Which artists or art movements have most influenced your style and work?
I see my work as a combination of several classical influences: elements of Art Nouveau, Surrealism, and Expressionism all come through in different ways. But in the end, I don't feel tied to any single movement.
Could you walk us through the creative process you go through when creating a new piece?
Everything starts with an idea I want to express. Then I think about which object best represents that idea. From there, I draw and imagine the composition and its details, and work through the technical challenges involved. Only then does the embroidery and sculpting begin, adding detail, attaching the piece so it floats above the surface, and closing the frame.
Is there a particular theme or message you want to convey in your work?
I'm drawn to the small contradictions of being human. How something can feel fragile and permanent at the same time, or how imperfection can be more honest. My work doesn't try to resolve these paradoxes; it just holds them up for a moment. If there's a message, it's that identity and hope are built through moments of crisis, not despite them.
What has been the biggest challenge on your artistic journey so far and how did you deal with it?
The biggest challenge is constantly coming up with new ideas for artworks that feel meaningful; it isn't natural for me. I deal with it through discipline: I treat it as work, with dedicated time for research and exploration. Once an idea is solidified, though, the process of creating it becomes very organic and flowing.
Are there any techniques and materials that you prefer?
At this point, I only work with one medium: thread. The medium itself is part of the storytelling: it brings a dimension of delicacy and fragility, and creates an emotional connection to the subject of the work.
Is there a particular place where you prefer to work?
My work requires specific equipment, so I only work in the studio.
Where do you see yourself and your art in the next five years?
It's been a journey so far, and I'm curious to see where it takes me. Opportunities keep opening up all over the world, and I've come to embrace a life of traveling and changing rhythms. At the same time, I want to keep growing, reaching a bigger scale of work and finding my way into important art institutions and museums.
Do you have a "philosophy" that guides your creative expression?
Nature and embroidery are universal languages. Ones I believe we can all understand, no matter where we come from.