Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri unveils in India his latest series Americana

Prior to the India Art Fair, Yigal Ozeri gave a fascinating lecture presenting his work as well as that of his predecessors and contemporaries at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

The India Art Fair once again lived up to its reputation as the leading platform for the presentation of modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia. Among the various international artists and designers participating in India Art Fair 2023, two individuals stood out with the sui generis character of their works: New York City-based Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri and Swiss-Argentinian designer Alfredo Häberli.
Yigal Ozeri is best known for his large format cinematic portraits of distinctive young women in lush landscapes. Ozeri brings an ethereal and uninhibited sensibility to his paintings. Many celebrities have had the privilege of being painted by Ozeri – Whoopi Goldberg, Ai Weiwei, Lizzie Jagger (the daughter of Mick Jagger and Jeri Hall) and Uri Geller to name a few. The global importance of Ozeri’s work was underscored in 2017 when he was included as one of thirty contemporary artists in the exhibition Hyperrealism: 50 Years of Painting at the Kunsthal Rotterdam.
Prior to the India Art Fair, Ozeri gave a fascinating talk presenting his work and that of his predecessors and contemporaries at the National Gallery of Modern Art. “I am incredibly honored to be exhibiting in India. It is a country with so much rich history and culture. I find that the vibrant energy and color that flows through the pulse of India is connected to my work on many levels. My work is about intimacy and beauty, but also about reality. I look forward to exhibiting my work in India for the first time,” said Ozeri.

At the India Art Fair, Ozeri presented his latest series, Americana, in which the artist focused on “the diner” – an institution whose image has become etched into the fabric of American life. Ozeri has taken the hyper-real genre to amazing new heights. Following his highly successful exhibitions and art fairs in neighboring Asian countries, his work is brought to India courtesy of the Bruno Art Group. Ozeri aesthetically captures the most appealing retro elements from the furniture to the lighting. The chrome-plated accessories reflect neon accents and bold lines in bright colors. The artist remains true to his painterly approach, which combines sharp, detailed brushstrokes with abstract components. Discussing his process, Ozeri explained, “First, I’ll do a photoshoot. Well, any photorealist artist of the 70’s or 60’s would admire the photo and copy it exactly. I, on the other hand, follow a process called erasing the photograph. I take a picture and then I go to the computer and change it completely. So from the first original I create the new original by erasing. And from that I project and do the drawing and then I paint.”
Also, at India Art Fair 2023, Rado unveiled a special anniversary edition designed in collaboration with Swiss-Argentinian designer Alfredo Häberli, along with three new DiaStar Original models that will join the collection with a range of exclusive dial colors. World-famous for reduced and original designs, Häberli said at the launch: “The Rado DiaStar was the world’s first scratch-resistant watch, and it was one of the historic moments in the field of design. When, 60 years later, I was given the opportunity to revamp and redesign this iconic watch, it was one of the most inspirational moments for me as a designer. When designing the new watch, I envisioned it to be bold, edgy and futuristic while retaining the essence of the original DiaStar. I am very excited to be here at India Art Fair in India to showcase this iconic piece and I hope this watch resonates with audiences here.”
The new standard DiaStar Original models feature a facetted parallel stripe sapphire crystal, a polished and brushed stainless steel H-link bracelet and a choice of blue, gray and green dial colors. Speaking about his collaboration with Rado, Häberli, who has worked with leading design companies such as Alias, Camper, Kvadrat, Moroso, Volvo, etc. said: “I have always dreamed of designing a watch. It started when I started studying industrial design. But why did it take so long? Well, because nobody called me.
I tried to get in touch with people in the industry but apparently they weren’t used to working with well known designers. The big companies, be it the auto industry or the watch industry, sometimes don’t want our name on their products. But Rado is a company that is very connected to designers, so it has my name on it.”