Born in St. Petersburg, Russia 1980
Lived and studied in Canada and the USA 1994-2003
Lives and works in Israel since 2004
Founder and Director of the “Visual Art Center” in Tel Aviv 

 

Education:

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1999 - 2003    Maryland Institute College of Art; Baltimore, USA. BFA 
2001    Studio Art Centers International; Florence, Italy
1999    York University; Toronto, Canada

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Solo Exhibitions:

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2024  “Front” Tel Aviv Artists House, Tel Aviv Israel. Curator: Dr. Doron Lurie

2023  “Family Album” The Knesset, Jerusalem, Israel

2022  "AIM" Performance and Exhibition. Arthura Gallery, Emek Hefer, Israel. Production: Alon Mizrachi

2017    “Architecture of Light” Stone Tower Gallery, Glen Echo, MD, USA
2015    “The City: Paintings and Ink Washes”  Rothschild Fine Art Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
2014    “Works on Paper” Charlotte Hale & Associates, Toronto, Canada
2014    “Residence Permit” Savina Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
2013    “Paintings” Rothschild Fine Art, Tel Aviv, Israel (two-person show)
2013    “Lights” Bernard Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
2011    "Spaces and Figures" Julie M Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2008    “Ilya Gefter: Paintings” Golconda Fine Art, Tel Aviv, Israel
2007    “In Contrast” Leonardo Gallery, Toronto, Canada (two-person show)
2006    “Old World New World” Leonardo Gallery, Toronto, Canada (two-person show)
2002    “Works on Paper” Maryland Institute; Baltimore, USA
2002    “A Year in Italy” Veni Vidi Gallery; Port Perry, Canada
2001    “Encore” Veni Vidi Gallery; Port Perry, Canada
2000    “Works Thus Far” Veni Vidi Gallery; Port Perry, Canada

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Selected Group Exhibitions:

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2020    Landscapes, Portrait, Still Life; Mormon University, Jerusalem, Israel. Curator: Lola Vilenkin
2012    Annual Winter Exhibition; Julie M Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2012    Summer Exhibition; Julie M Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2012    Landscapes and Color; Julie M Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2011    New Acquisitions; Sterling Memorial Library, Yale University, New Haven, USA
2007    Presences; Painters and Sculptors Association, Tel Aviv, Israel
2007, 2004    Krasota; Magic Door Gallery; Sunderland, Canada
2005    Had Gadya; Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel

Selected Grants and Awards:

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2012    Ontario Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant 
2007    Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, E. Greenshields Foundation, Canada
2003    Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, E. Greenshields Foundation, Canada
2003    John Hirsch Scholarship for the Arts; JIAS Canada
2001    John Hirsch Scholarship for the Arts; JIAS Canada
1999    John Hirsch Scholarship for the Arts; JIAS Canada
1999    David Jacobs Full Tuition Scholarship; Maryland Institute, College of Art, USA
1999    Academic Excellence Scholarship; Maryland Institute, College of Art, USA

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Teaching Positions:

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2015 - Present   Visual Art Center, Tel Aviv, Founder, Director, Head Instructor
2007 – ‘15    Ha-Tahana School for Figurative Art, Tel Aviv, Israel. Instructor
2012 - ‘15    Sadnaot Omaney Ha-Kibbutz, Tel Aviv, Israel. Instructor
2010    Durham College, Oshawa, Canada. Adjunct Faculty
2004 - ‘09    Jerusalem Studio School, Jerusalem, Israel. Instructor

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Collaborations:

 

2023   Created cover artwork for a music album by Idan Raichel "Tower of Light"

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Curatorial Work: Collaborations:

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2018    “E.M. Saniga: Color of Time” Rothschild Fine Art Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel

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Selected Collections:

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Yale University, New Haven CT, USA
Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA
Museum Casa Ibanez, Olula, Andalusia, Spain
Dubi Shiff Collection, Leonardo Art Hotel, Tel Aviv, Israel
Ofer Levin Foundation Collection, Tel Aviv, Israel
Yuval Noah Harari Collection, Israel

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Selected Bibliography:

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Lurie, Doron. “Ilya Gefter / Front”. Levin Press. 2024

Pitshon, Avi. “Beauty of Evil” Haaretz, Galeria. March 15 2024: pg 38.

Kopf, Shula. “Facing the Darkness of the Human Soul”. The Jerusalem Postlite. March 20, 2024: pg 24

Barr, Neria. “Ilya Gefter presents The Front” The Jerusalem Post. March 3, 2024: pg 16

Ofrat, Gideon. “Horizon to Horizon”. The Levin Collection, Selected Works” 2023

Riva, Neama. "Endless War" Haaretz, Galeria. January 25 2023. Back cover.

Tal, Hadassa. “So the Silence Speaks” Haaretz, Culture and Sports. September 4 2021: pg 3

Ofrat, Gideon. “Beyond the Horizon. The Levin Collection, Selected Works” 2017

Gore, Leia. “Spaces and Figures”. Spaces and Figures Exhibition Catalog, 2011

Lurie, Aya. “Ilya Gefter” Ilya Gefter: Paintings Exhibition Catalog, 2008

Burstein, Dror. “To transcend the formal issues.” Presences, 2006 

Hoffman, Carl. “Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man” The Jerusalem Post, May 3 2013

“Painting in Moonlight” Pnai Plus volume 1105 21.10.10. April 18, 2013: pg 62

Svetlana Krasnova, “Mysterious Light of Ilya Gefter” Vesti April 11, 2013

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Published Articles:

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2022 "Kiev's 1000 Year Old Cathedral." Haaretz Newspaper. Galleria. March 27, 2022: Page 4. Print.

2022 "Emergency Art Sale in Support of Ukraine." The Jerusalem Post. March 2, 2022

2019 “What to look at the Fresh Paint Art Fair.” Haaretz Newspaper. Galleria. May 25, 2019: Print.

2019 “Who said that artists know better than taxi drivers?” Haaretz Newspaper. Galleria. April 25, 2019: Page 6. Print.