1900 - 1988.
Ziona Tager was an Israeli painter known for painting the Yishuv period and the country's first years.
She was born in Jaffa to Hungarian parents who were among the first inhabitants of Ahuzat Bait. She studied art at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (in Jerusalem) despite her parents' opposition and continued her studies in Paris. She stayed there for two years.
During World War II, she volunteered to serve in the Women's Auxiliary Corps of the British Army in Mandatory Palestine. When discharged in 1944, she presented her paintings in the lobby of the Habima Theater.
In 1951, she bought a church in Tzfat, which was abandoned during the War of Independence. It was built during the 19th century in the city's Christian neighborhood. Later, more artists came to the city, and in 1952, together with a group of painters, she founded the artists’ district in Tzfat.
Ziona Tager was an Israeli painter mainly known for painting the period of the Yishuv and the first years of the country.
From the 1950s, she began spending her summers in Tzfat while continuing to live in Tel Aviv most of the year.
She said “In the summer, I lived in the artists’ colony in Safed. I love Tel Aviv and would never replace it with anywhere else in Israel – even if from a painterly perspective it is a regular modern city. Yet in contrast to the ancient cities of Jerusalem, Tiberias, Tzfat and Jaffa, Tel Aviv is the country’s artistic center.”
Her work is considered foundational in the Israeli art scene, especially as a native Israeli woman. During her life, she presented her works in Tel Aviv, Paris, Cairo, and Venice.
A street in Jaffa is named after her.
In this YouTube video, you will see some of her paintings and other photos of her.
Sources:
Comments