About Ella

Ella Bishevsky (also may be written as Byshevsky) — Artist, Art Teacher and Illustrator

In her work Ella Bishevsky seeks to forge a new artistic language, to make of it an instrument for the expression of the Jewish spiritual heritage. The artist translates the religious text, normally closed to representation, into the unique space of artistic commentary.

Works by Bishevsky are housed in museums and private collections in Israel, the U.S., Russia, Germany, and other countries. Her illustrations form a part of dozens of books and magazines for children and adults.

Resume

Teaching experience:

1990–2008 teaches painting in relation to traditional Jewish texts in private classes in Jerusalem and in Jewish Children Summer camps in Russia and Ukraine

2001 participated in the project Jerusalem Haggadah, which contained creation of a book and of an exhibition under the same name.

1987 organized an exhibition Jewish Museum in Moscow which explained a topic of the figurative expression of Jewish texts.

1986–1990 teaches in the Moscow branch of the Jewish education organization Mahanaim.

1984 – Started teaching painting to children in underground (forbidden by Soviet authorities) Jewish School which combined Art and Torah studies.

During those studies children illustrated such Jewish traditional texts as: Josef’s story from Torah, Talmudic stories about Resh Lakish, Khanina ben Dosa and Honi Ha-Meagel. The latter work was published in Israel in a form of a book Honi Ha-Me’agel’s Dream.

In closest connection to Ella’s teaching activities stands her work as an illustrator.

Some of the books illustrated:

Started at Leningrad in 1986 and printed in Israel in 1998 The Dream of Honi ha-Me’agel.

1990 Illustrations for Targum magazine.

1994 The Leningrad Haggadah

1994–1996 Illustrator for Fathers and Sons magazine, Shteinzaltz Institute.

1997–2000 Torah for children And Tell Your Son

2001-2002 A book Raise Your Eyes.

2004 Seafarers’ Stories from Talmud

2007 Design for Frima Gurfinkel’s Russian translation of Tanakh commentaries.

2005 Jerusalem Fairy Tale, Gesharim Publishing House.

2001–2008 Works with Russian language Chabad magazine and publishing house Lechaim. Illustrations for the magazine (more than 40 items) and 5 books: The Book of Ruth, The Tour of Babel, Yitzhak and Abraham in two volumes.

Ella’s works can be found in museums and private collections in Israel, USA, Russia, Germany and other countries. She has illustrated tens of books and journals, both for children and adults.

Best exhibitions:

Personal

1980 School of Arts, Tallinn, Estonia

1981 Steblin-Kaminsky Private unofficial studio, Leningrad, Russia

1982 Leninakhmari Cultural Centre, Russia

1990 Leningrad Jewish University, Russia

1995 Bet Morasha – Centre for Advanced Torah Studies, Jerusalem, Israel

1996 Melnikoff Gallery, Heidelberg, Germany

1998 Tobis Schreude Gallery, Berlin, Germany

2000 Co-Art Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel

2002 The Russian Library, Jerusalem, Israel

2003 Gishrey Tarbut Centre, Jerusalem, Israel

2005 Machanaim, Jerusalem, Israel

2006 Nabokov Museum, St Petersburg, Russia

Group

1979 The Exhibition Hall, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

1981 Muchina High School of Arts, Leningrad, Russia

1982 Steblin-Kaminsky Private unofficial studio, Leningrad, Russia

1988 Medical Centre for Cardiology, Leningrad, Russia

1989 The Israeli Centre, Jerusalem, Israel

1991 The Jerusalem Theatre, Israel

1991 Tel-Aviv Artist House, Israel

1992 Melnikoff Gallery, Heidelberg, Germany

1993 Samuels Gallery, Chicago, Il, USA

1994 The Jewish Gallery, Berlin, Germany

1997 The Jerusalem Decameron, Jerusalem Artist House, Israel

1999 Holidays, Holy Days, Sapir Centre, Jerusalem, Israel

2000 Gerard Bechar Cultural Centre, Jerusalem, Israel

2001 A Journey In Time, Jerusalem – St. Petersburg – Moscow

2002 Roads and Palaces, Kiev – St. Petersburg – Jerusalem – Moscow

2004 International Book Fair, Moscow, Russia

Education:

1978 graduated from The Art College in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

1978–1983 Studied Monumental painting in Leningrad.

Languages: Russian, Hebrew, English.

About the artist

Born in Tajikistan in 1959.

Lives in Jerusalem since 1990.