Itzhak Feldman’s life is a remarkable fusion of precision and creativity. Based in Israel, he works as an electrical engineer for a traffic light controller company, a profession rooted in logic, systems, and structure. Yet, beneath the world of circuits and controllers, a deep current of imagination has always run through his life. About twelve years ago, Feldman made a conscious decision to embrace that creative impulse and give it space to flourish.
He decided that, in addition to the technological side, he would bring the artistic side into his life. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of his journey as a painter, one that would profoundly shape the way he perceives and interacts with the world.
The Birth of a Painter
Feldman began his artistic education at HaTachana, a renowned drawing and painting school located in Tel Aviv, Israel. Immersed in a community of artists and mentors, he developed his technical foundation while exploring the expressive possibilities of visual art. Over time, painting became not just a hobby but an essential part of his life, a means to translate thoughts and emotions into something tangible, to give form to ideas that could not be expressed through words or equations.
For Feldman, painting is a bridge between the seen and the unseen, the rational and the emotional. His goal in painting is to translate ideas and thoughts that come to his mind and transform them into a final painting that provokes thought and wonder in the viewer.
From Simple Ideas to Profound Narratives
The subjects of Feldman’s paintings often begin with the simplest ideas: a person at home, an everyday gesture, a quiet moment, but through his creative process, they evolve into complex visual narratives. Each canvas becomes a space for contemplation, where human figures, emotion, and symbolism intertwine.
His method is deeply intentional. As a preparatory stage, Feldman begins with simple models and mannequins arranged in the poses he envisions. These early sketches form the foundation for the composition, allowing him to experiment with form and proportion. Gradually, he breathes life into these figures, transforming them from static models into human beings imbued with emotion and meaning.
He uses a lot of imagination and, in many cases, looks at himself in the mirror to understand a certain pose or expression he wants to capture. He also studies many references, especially from modern and impressionist painters of the 19th century.
Inspired by the Masters
Feldman’s admiration for the great modern and impressionist painters is evident in his work. Artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, whose brushwork captured fleeting light, emotion, and movement, serve as touchstones for his own artistic philosophy. Like them, Feldman strives to create paintings that are both expressive and thoughtful, inviting the viewer to linger and interpret.
Yet his approach remains uniquely his own. While impressionists painted scenes from everyday life, Feldman’s paintings often spring from introspection and the desire to make sense of the human experience in a changing, often turbulent world.
Art in the Shadow of Conflict
For Feldman, recent events in Israel have profoundly influenced his artistic direction. The tragic events of October 7, 2023, and the war that followed have left an indelible mark on his consciousness and, inevitably, on his art.
What happened on that day and the months that followed gave him new ideas for the future of painting. These experiences, both collective and deeply personal, have shifted the emotional tone of his work. His new pieces seek to explore the fragility of human life, resilience, and the search for meaning amidst chaos.
Through his art, Feldman processes these realities not through explicit depictions of conflict, but through symbolic and introspective compositions that speak to shared emotion and humanity. His paintings become meditations on endurance, memory, and hope.
The Process of Creation
For Feldman, the act of painting is both a discipline and a discovery. It demands patience, humility, and an openness to imperfection. Painting brings him joy and satisfaction, and sometimes there are disappointments, but they are part of the process.
This acceptance of both success and struggle mirrors his engineering background, where problem-solving requires persistence and precision. But in art, the variables are emotional rather than mechanical. Every brushstroke carries intention; every decision on color, light, and form reflects an internal dialogue between control and spontaneity.
It is within this delicate balance between structure and freedom that Feldman’s artistry thrives.
Between Two Worlds
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Feldman’s story is the harmony he maintains between two seemingly opposite worlds: the logical precision of engineering and the boundless freedom of art. His dual career reflects the possibility of coexistence between technology and creativity, intellect and emotion.
In both disciplines, he seeks understanding, whether through the predictable logic of circuits or the unpredictable nature of paint. For Feldman, both pursuits share a common goal: to create systems of meaning that connect with people, whether through innovation or through beauty.
A Lifelong Dialogue
As Feldman continues to evolve as an artist, his work stands as a testament to the human capacity for reinvention and growth. Each painting marks another step in his ongoing dialogue with life, imagination, and the world around him.
His artistic journey is not merely about producing images but about cultivating awareness of emotion, of thought, and of the shared experiences that unite us. Through his paintings, Itzhak Feldman invites viewers to pause, reflect, and rediscover the poetry that lies beneath the surface of ordinary life.
