Zahava Sherez
Oakland, California, USA & Mexico | Sculptor
ZaHaVa Sherez is an international contemporary artist and spiritual activist who has been using her art since 1990 to give voice to social justice, human rights, immigrants, and refugees.
Born in Argentina, raised in Israel, and moved to the USA in 1985, ZaHaVa has been living and working in both California and Jalisco, MX since 2018. Being multi-cultural and multi-lingual has enriched her life in indescribable ways. Life experiences such as immigrations, wars, and oppression have been her implausible teachers, deepening and shaping her worldview to understand that humanity is One Race. Living in multiple cultures has allowed her to witness the rich differences between them and recognize the fundamental similarities that make divisions obsolete.
Her latest work, InBodied Light is a large sculptural project visually representing the message “We Are One!”. She chose a material with transparency and lightness, emphasizing our connectedness with all through the light energy of Quantum field. These silent Beings transforming with their luminous and numinous presence.
It is a global traveling art project.
The “InBodied Light” series has been juried into prestigious exhibitions and museums worldwide, including the London Art Biennale, the Museum of Colonial Art in Havana, Cuba, Brookgreen Gardens in SC, USA, New Realism/Altered Reality at Gallery 23 in NY, USA, Xavier Villaurrutia Art Center in Mexico City, MX, Casa del Sol in Ajijic, MX, and the Museum of the Americas in San Juan, PR.
ZaHaVa Sherez has received numerous awards and her art has been shown and collected in various countries, including all over the US, Israel, The Netherlands, Australia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, England, Chile, Mexico, and Cuba.
Zahava is fluent in English, Spanish, and Hebrew.
“Chapala has become my home away from home. The Xochi Quetztal residency is run efficiently. Cobra and her team are friendly, accessible, and professional. My stay in Chapala is enhanced by the personal relationships I have developed with several of the team members. The casita I stay in is very well maintained and fully equipped. The studio area is large and ready for me to engage in art as soon as I arrive. The weather is always fantastic. The lake, the town(s), the life, the restaurants, the view, the very friendly local people all call me back again and again. I love it!”
Special Recognition Art Award in Sculpture
InBodied Light, Woman #3 & Man #3
Zahava Sherez is the winner of the Dr. Janet Jordan Special Recognition Art Award in Sculpture for her “InBodied Light”: Woman #3 & Man #3. Curated by Renée Phillip, founder of The Healing Power of Art and Artists. The exhibit entitled “The Spirit of Resilience” can be viewed through November 4, 2020.
(https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/the-spirit-of-resilience-exhibition/)
See more: https://zahavasherez.com/special-recognition-award/
You work in sculpture and mixed media. Tell us more about your materials and how you use them.
For the last 30 years I’ve worked as a carver with clay and stone. I always approach a medium searching for new ways of reinventing it challenging both the medium and myself. In recent years I began adding mixed media and masonry colorants to my clay sculpture after learning about Clay Printing (a technique developed by Mitch Lyons). I begin with a clayprint which I lift onto a synthetic texturized fabric, mount on wood and add layers of mixed media. It’s a long and laborious process but it gives me the results I desire and a new way of expressing myself.
You have lived and worked in many countries. How has this influenced your work?
Our life journeys are complex and have within them the positive and the negative, which deeply influence us. On one hand living in several cultures and countries (Argentina and Israel) has profoundly enriched me; hower, experiences of immigration, oppression, and war have scarred me. Over time, in searching for my truth and identity, I have integrated and embraced all of my parts. After years of feeling like an outsider and minority, I now consider myself a citizen of the world. Our human experiences do not divide us (only labels do that) but unite us regardless of color, religion, or nationality. These are recurring themes in my work.
You have had four personal residencies in Chapala. What keeps bringing you back?
I find Chapala, the culture, the town, the lake, and the entire area, to be a peaceful and inspiring haven. As soon as I drive from the airport up towards the lake and over the mountains, I begin to feel this special energy. The times I’ve spent in Chapala have enriched me physically, emotionally, mentally and creatively. Some of my best ideas have come to me during these residencies.
What does a typical studio day look like for you when you are here? What else do you enjoy doing in Chapala?
I am not a structured artist in the sense that I allow the flow to carry me, especially when I am in Chapala. I take plenty of time for contemplation, meditation, and long walks along the lake. I always take my iPad so I can take notes, photos, and draw whenever an idea or an image inspires me. Then, several days a week I work at the studio to further explore and develop them. I enjoy taking the bus into neighboring pueblos. The ride itself is an uplifting experience for me – I love how people relate to each other in an open and friendly way. I’ve made great friends in the area. We go to concerts, art openings, and eat out. There is a never-ending list of fabulous places to eat.
What were you working on during this most recent residency?
I have a very busy life back home. I teach almost everyday and I spend as much time in my studio as I possibly can. I’m quite involved in the San Francisco Bay Area art scene, and have a very rich family and social life. When new ideas begin to tickle my creative juices, I don’t always have the time to explore and expand them the way I would like. My residency this past July 2106 was all about expanding my ideas. I brought all materials I needed to work on these ideas. The time I spent in the studio in Chapala was extremely successful and rewarding. I returned to my home studio in Oakland, CA ready to work, having solved many technical problems during my month at the residency.
Tell us about your art school and career in California.
About 30 years ago I decided to quit the corporate/business world. I wanted to be, live, and make art. I began teaching at various institutions. Over time, as my name and teaching methods became known, I was able to start my own school. I teach adults and seniors in my studio in Oakland, CA, I teach in upscale senior facilities and also at homeless seniors through Alameda County. I also teach privately in my studio or the artist’s. I taught stone carving at Pixar Animation Studios for 8 years and occasionally I’m invited to teach in other countries including workshops in stone carving, clay sculpture, mixed media, clay printing, and the business of art. I primarily show my artwork in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I have also shown in New York, Corsica and most recently Paris. That was an amazing experience, to say the least.
What advice do you have for other artists who are considering a personal residency in Mexico?
The only place I’ve spent time in Mexico is in and around Lake Chapala. I’ve had people back home worry about the dangers of going to Mexico. The truth is that I can’t remember feeling safer anyplace else. I’m a single woman and I walk around all over town and neighboring towns, feeling completely safe. Since the US currency is very strong compared to the Mexican peso it is extremely affordable to treat yourself to massages, spas, facials, pedicures, acupuncture, eating out, luxuries that I have to think twice about back home. I’ve found a doctor, a homeopath, and a masseuse – all excellent! My advice is enjoy every moment, combine your creative goals with slowing down, enjoy the area and its people, pamper yourself and relax. The residency program is run very smoothly. Cobra and her team are friendly, available, and efficient. The casitas are very well maintained and equipped. The Middle Casita, where I usually stay, is very spacious with a large open live/work studio that is full of light and centrally located.
