Thai x Israeli: LIFE UNDER COVID Israeli Artists

12 Israeli and 12 Thai artists have each sketched in their own style the impact of the terrible virus on their and our daily lives. Their drawings are available in English and Thai.Ilana Zeffren’s cats comment on reality as they see it, Michel Kichka tenderly and humorously depicts his father who recently passed away from the virus, Ilanit Shamia reviews urban fashion during the corona days in Tel Aviv, the virus becomes an untamable rodeo-beast through the pencil of Shay Charka, Maya Prat involves the public and draws the funniest stories that were told to her – and many more!

Ilana Zeffren is an Israeli comics artist living in Tel Aviv. For the past several years her cartoon column, ‘Petting Corner’, has been published weekly in “Haaretz” newspaper, and stars her two cats. In 2005 she published “Pink Story” – a graphic novel telling the story of the gay and lesbian community in Israel through the events of her own life-story. Since then she has published comics strips and stories in newspapers, magazines and literature anthologies and has participated in international and Israeli comics group exhibitions. Between 2006 and 2013, she wrote and drew “Rishumon”, a personal column in comics for “City Mouse”, a local entertainment magazine, and She has also illustrated three children’s books. Collections of her work have been published in book form in 2014, 2015 and 2017. 

Ilanit Shamia is a Tel Aviv based artist. She graduated with a BFA from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. Her creative work journeys between photography and illustration, fashion, and journalism. Some of her artwork is a part of the Haaretz – Amos Schoken Art Collection. 

Maya Prat, 26 years old, is a member of "Cultural Movement" - a social movement of artists in Israel. She is involved in community and participatory art, and in expanding art audiences in the north of Israel. She lives in the most northern coastal city in Israel, called Nahariya, a relatively small city of 60,000 inhabitants. When the pandemic started, she drew a little comic of herself at home and posted it on a Facebook group of the city residents, and decoded to launch a new project and ask people to share the weirdest moment they've had since the pandemic started: 

Michel Kichka is an Israeli cartoonist and illustrator of Belgian origin. Kichka produces comics in French and Hebrew for various media outlets and is also the auteur of several books. He is one of Israel’s leading comic book artists and political cartoonists and has won the prestigious Israeli “Dosh Cartoonist Award”. He teaches the next generations of comic artists at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design where he was once himself a student. 

Rachel Shalev, born in Israel, 1981, graduated by Bezalel Academy in 2005. Since then she’s been working as a freelance illustrator of children’s books, editorial illustration, advertising, branding and different art and pro bono projects around the world. Lives in Pardes Hanna with her husband Boaz and her children Michael, Geva, Hillel and Rama.  

Roni Nova is a 24 years old illustrator and comics artist. Roni is currently studying visual communication in the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem. 

Sasha Zilberman is a Russian-born designer and illustrator based in Tel Aviv. She graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Jerusalem in 2016. Currently Sasha is spending most of her time at home and in her head. 

Shay Charka Illustrated dozens of books by various writers, including the late Uri Orbach, Shlomo Abas, Galila Ron-Feder and more. He is regularly publishing cartoons in the newspaper “Makor Rishon”. In the past, he was published in “Yediot Aharonot”, “Maariv” and in other Israeli newspapers. His cartoons are cited in international websites, TV shows and exhibitions abroad. To this day, he has published eighteen comic books and graphic novels, among them, the series “Baba”, “Beyond the Line” (both published by Modan), “Shay and Agnon” (published by Schocken) and more. Two of his books have been translated into English. He is also the creator of many poppets that appeared in different Israeli TV channels. He is frequently lecturing about his works and the language of painting. 

Shulamit Farber, a 30-year-old from Tel Aviv, is an illustrator, programmer, and activist on feminism. In Tel Aviv you can really feel the Coronavirus because it is a crowded city with lots of bars and parties. Suddenly, everything was deserted and cops came out on the streets. 

Tamar Moshkovitz, Born in Haifa – Israel as the lovely baby girl named Tamar Moshkovitz. Has been drawing since the moment she could hold a pen. Graduated the Visual communication department at Wizo College of design – Haifa in 2003. Currently based in Berlin and also active in Tel Aviv. Works as a freelance designer, illustrator and animator using a variety of methods and techniques. She has been teaching throughout the years illustration and design in various colleges in Israel and Berlin since 2007. Adores toys, animation films, gelatin food, cats and everything silly. 

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Thai x Israeli : LIFE UNDER COVID Thai Artists (EN)