Three artists, three questions: Interviews amid sirens from Iranian missiles

Exactly eight hours before that first siren, on Thursday evening, June 12, in complete ignorance of what awaited us, I attended the opening of a group exhibition in Tel Aviv’s Neveh Tzedek neighborhood.

The atmosphere was joyful. That evening, all of us – artists and viewers – “pretended” as if there were no war in Israel for the past year and a half, and that life was simply beautiful.

That evening, I interviewed Alejandro Goldberg, one of the three artists featured in this month’s column. One of his paintings that delighted me was The Last Supper.

Three Israeli artists, from different generations and with very different approaches and backgrounds, answered my three questions:

He has a bachelor of fine arts degree from the College of Fine Arts, University of Texas at Austin, and has studied art in Bulgaria, Italy, and Israel. He has exhibited his work in solo exhibitions and has participated in group exhibitions in Israel, Mexico, London, and more.

Goldberg paints portraits, abstracts, angelic scenes, still lifes, and landscapes. His paintings are influenced by observations of Mexico – its painters and muralists; abstract expressionism; Italian art; and also – as he admitted during our interview at the opening of the group exhibition Where Edges Meet at the Corridor Contemporary Gallery in Tel Aviv – Christianity (even though he is Jewish, as he emphasizes). He uses mostly artist’s paintbrushes, but he is no stranger to wall paint brushes in larger forms of art.

In the exhibition – which opened on June 12 and closed on June 13 and can now be visited by appointment only (the number of participants dependent on the instructions of Home Front Command) – Goldberg presents a series of paintings inspired by the drawings of his children, as well as his spectacular The Last Supper, in which the central figure (referring to Jesus) has no face and all the participants are children, one of whom plays under the table.

He says that this painting refers to mysticism. In my personal experience of it, it is underlined by humor. Although Goldberg did not intend this to be the case, the playfulness of the children reminded me of Pieter Bruegel’s Children’s Games.

Inspiration: “First of all, I can’t ignore the history of art and the kindred spirits that have accompanied me throughout my career as a painter. I’m thinking of all-time favorites like Morandi, De Kooning, Piero della Francesca, and Giotto.

“I’m inspired by a combination of things, not just one specific thing. This includes the music of David Bowie, Lou Reed, George Michael, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. I constantly listen to music that is uplifting, regardless of genre, to act as a kind of vitamin that stimulates the will and desire to paint.

“People in general are a great inspiration, especially when they are bright and have something positive to contribute to the world.

“Another thing that inspires me in a more metaphysical sense is the power of good in this world. We are constantly battling between good and evil, and I love that in the end, good always triumphs over evil.”

Meaning of art: “I define art as anything that involves a particular talent or skill that evokes an emotional response in people. While it is difficult to define what art is, it is easy to say what it is not. True art can change the feelings and energy in a room, and when you see it and it happens, you know it is art.

“Art is not just what is in line with my aesthetic taste and sense of appreciation, but rather it is honest in its essence. ‘Honesty’ is the key word here because there are so many fads, trends, and even manipulations that go on, especially in the art world, that one must be careful not to be fooled and misled by deception.

“In short, it is a complicated question, but it does have an answer. All I can tell you is that great, honest, and expert minds tend to think alike.”

Goldberg’s art: “We are all an individual sum of all our experiences and learnings; therefore, our interpretation of what we see and paint is unique. My work is no different than [that of] anyone else who seeks honesty, whether it is painting, cooking, or anything else. It is only my aesthetic taste and physical, plastic execution that sets me apart from the work of other painters.

“Ultimately, all painters and artists strive to create and provoke an authentic response in their audience. It is this emotional response that individually resonates and uniquely affects the viewer. Inevitably, all works of art evoke a response that distinguishes us all as artists and human beings, making it virtually impossible to replicate or imitate any style, regardless of the skill of the craftsman. This inexplicable quality is our unique human fingerprint that makes my art, or any other art, unique and nearly impossible to replicate.”

https://www.alexgoldberg.art

Arie Lamdan is a painter and sculptor in a wide variety of media. He lives and works in Rishon Lezion. He was born in Herzliya in 1944, where his parents had moved from Germany in the mid-1930s. Between 1954 and 1966, he lived in the United States. He received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Boston’s Massachusetts College of Art in 1966, and came back to Israel.

Lamdan has been a member of the Israel Painters and Sculptors Association since 1970. He was one of the founders of the Artists’ Association of Rishon Lezion, and one of the founders of the artist collective the Group of Six. He served on the jury of the art committee of Beit Yad Labanim in Rishon Lezion. He has been teaching drawing, painting, and art history in various institutions since 1969. He lectures regularly and has participated in one-man and group exhibitions in Israel and abroad.

Three of his metal sculptures can be found in Rishon Lezion: Don Quixote; The Weightlifter; and Moishe Dudel. In his latest exhibition in Beit Yad Labanim in Rishon, called My Heroes, the artist presented 40 watercolors and etchings of soldiers fighting in Gaza to free the hostages. Lamdan donated all the proceeds from the show to the wounded soldiers recovering in hospitals.

I saw one of his watercolor paintings online, by coincidence, on the third day of the war with Iran, after a night of running to a shelter several times. The light in his work was somehow uplifting; there was both serenity and strength in his work. I immediately decided to contact him, and we talked on the phone, interrupted by another siren.

This kind, 80-year-old man, surprised by my call, represents in his art the essence of Israeli history and resilience amid the war.

Inspiration: “As an artist who has worked for many years in different media, I am inspired by the people around me, and I strive to paint them out of deep identification with their suffering and their joy. Also, I dream a lot, and for years I have kept a notebook by my bedside so that I can paint my dreams in oils and watercolors.”

Meaning of art: “I think that any creation one does can be called art. Although I am basically a figurative artist, I can relate to abstract art and minimalist art, as well as virtual art, performance, and many other forms of art.

“After 50 years of teaching art and lecturing on art history on many levels [of education], I can accept all forms of art.”

Lamdan’s art: “As far as being different from other artists, I paint, draw, print my etchings, and sketch in various materials, so each of my artistic works is different and has its unique style, which I can change to suit the subject.

“For the past year and a half, we have been at war with Hamas, and the best of our soldiers have dedicated their lives so that we can live in peace and tranquility.

“I found myself painting and etching all these young men and women [who] are fighting to free the hostages taken by Hamas.”

https://www.arielamdan.com

An interdisciplinary artist, Chen Nucher works primarily in video art, digital manipulation, and installation. He was born in 1984 in Bat Yam, and for many years he has been based in Tel Aviv.

Nucher initially started as a theater actor, but as he explained, acting didn’t give him “full control over his creations,” which he desired to have. He began to make short independent films, and at the age of 30 shifted his interests to visual arts.

He graduated from the Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts, and has a BA and an MA in art and art education from Hamidrasha Faculty of the Arts, Beit Berl College. His work has been exhibited in group shows across Israel.

Two of his works are currently on view as part of the group exhibition A Matter of Identity at the Contemporary Art Center Ramle. He also showcased a new piece at the latest Fresh Paint Art Fair.

His first solo exhibition, Take the Tears, Love Destroyed Me, at the Grosso Modo gallery in Tel Aviv, was planned to be opened on June 25. At the moment, the new date is pending.

In the exhibition, he shows mixed-media works based on his long-standing fascination with pop culture objects and characters.

The piece that intrigued me especially (and I hope to see it when the gallery reopens, not just online) is Sky and Fan (2025), a digital composition, ink-jet on paper, 140 cm. x 100 cm. The work focuses on hair dryers, on a bold red background.

When asked why “fan,” Nucher replied, “This everyday object has become a personal, gendered, and cultural symbol for me. The hair dryer, which I have used in my art for many years, represents power. It embodies the act of controlling appearance: Straightening hair not just for aesthetic purposes but is also an attempt to resemble iconic figures from 1980s and ’90s pop culture, such as George Michael and Patrick Swayze – symbols of success, masculinity, and acceptance.

“The word ‘fan’ also means admirer in English, adding another layer of meaning: The act of styling becomes an act of admiration, conformity, and a desire to belong.”

We connected a few days before the war with Iran, but instead of meeting at the gallery, we were forced to talk online.

Inspiration: “I’m deeply drawn to images the world often dismisses as failures or insignificant. There’s a quiet, heartbreaking beauty in visuals that feel overlooked or misunderstood – like they, too, deserve their spotlight.

“These inspirations find me in everyday life: during casual conversations, fleeting interactions between strangers, or scenes from films and TV shows that stir something inside me. I believe that true power exists in vulnerability, and that strength can be found in what others choose to ignore.”

Meaning of art: “Art is anything that sparks dialogue, whether personal or social. When we visit an exhibition, watch a play, put on an outfit, or create an advertisement, we’re often seeking a response from those who experience it. A visual experience always stirs something in the viewer. What exactly it stirs is between them and themselves – or whomever they choose to share it with.

“Even if people view art as purely aesthetic or material, it still serves a vital purpose: to teach us something about ourselves.”

Nucher’s art: “My work explores my unfulfilled desire to be a star; my complex sexual identity, both visible and hidden; family; the place I grew up in; the flattening of flat and shallow imagery; the critique of male objectification; and reflections on body image.

“What sets my work apart is the way it brings together multiple realms – acting and glamour, fashion, music, design – into one deeply personal world, sometimes even too personal.

“I’m not afraid that it might be misunderstood. It’s very important to me that my works appear simple and carry a sense of the obscure; but they are rich with detail, from their titles to the choice of images and the use of mixed techniques.”

https://www.instagram.com/chenucer