When I was a student at Bezalel, in my very first year, one of my teachers looked at my work and said: “Your colors are too American – unsophisticated, vulgar, and flat.” At the time, I was hurt. Years later, I realized that what he called vulgar was actually Pop Art -and that I had nothing to hide. My colors were simply me.
For over two decades now, I’ve been creating in dialogue with the icons of Pop – Warhol, Oldenburg, Lichtenstein, and Jeff Koons. Collecting, assembling, reimagining – responding to the overflow of our time. I dive into piles of glittering plastic, into the afterlife of toys, and from the remains of mass consumption, I build new stories Color is no longer something I need to defend. It is my rhythm, my optimism, my strength – my way to move energy into the world.
In 2020 the art critic Doron Braunstein gave me a title I will forever cherish: “If Warhol were an Israeli woman…” and honestly, it was the best compliment in the world.
Until a woman came a long.
Industrial oil on wood
2023
This painting was created in dialogue with the Pop Art masters – Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jeff Koons – whose works have profoundly influenced my own.
Popeye | Andy Warhol | 1963
Popeye | Roy Lichtenstein | 1963
Popeye | Jeff Koons | 2008
Popeye, originally illustrated by Elzie Segar as a comic strip character, was imagined by men and represented a masculine ideal – strong, muscular, heroic – until a woman came along.
Popeyit has two eyes. sometimes they are wide open, sometimes she winks.
That wink?
It's my little tribute to Popeye, who had just one. But there is more! It carries a message, and that message is my gift to you:
With that winking eye, she can imagine the future, while with the other one, she focuses on her goals. Imagination and taking action – turning vision into reality.
In my work “Until a Woman Came Along,” I see a historical correction to the story of Popeye and Olive— and to our own story as women.
Where Popeye had brute strength, she has determination. Where he threw punches, she danced and enjoyed the journey. Where he had one eye, she winks – imagining with one and staying focused with the other.
When I met with the team at King Features – the company that owns the rights to Popeye and Olive – they gave her the brilliant slogan:
“Let’s Popeyeit!”
And I couldn’t agree more—it truly belongs to this Popeyit.
Popeyit is an original character inspired by Popeye and Olive Oyl, created with the blessing and permission of King Features, the intellectual property owners.