Riki Yakobovich is a dynamic, vibrant and creative multidisciplinary artist in Israel who studied in the Avni Institute and College for Drawing & Sculpture in Ramat Gan and then privately under the tutelage of world-renowned artists as Igael Tumerkin, Doron Bar Adon and Yossi Rosenstein. Riki founded and currently directs the Tiferet School of Art and Drawing in Jerusalem which she views as her life’s calling.
In the course of her education, Riki also studied media, and she exploits the insights gained to integrate disciplines of drawing, photography, drama and stage management into her vivid creations, many of which were awarded coveted prizes and citations of excellence.
Each one of Riki’s pieces reveals her unique golden touch which melds a passionate Jewish soul with uncompromising professionalism and attention to detail, razor-sharp perception with insights into intricate situations and feelings, and keen discernment of the finest nuances of life with boundless energy and multidisciplinary knowledge. Many of her pieces likewise forge a dialogue with history that brush upon nationalistic, philosophical and artistic values.
Every day, Riki strives to recreate a breathtaking world that was on canvas, to reconstruct the images, scenes and sounds of a life that has long since vanished. Through the prism of her mind’s eye and distinct interpretations of Jewish Aggadah and sources in Jewish tradition, she imbues body, spirit and vitality into her artwork. While the conservative elements convey the simple, evident explanation; the composition, line, tinges and energetic strokes of color expose the underlying profound emotional dynamic.
Riki flits comfortably among a wide variety of artistic techniques and styles. Her mastery of the complex classic techniques of the great 16th century master artists compels extensive skills and effort to form the numerous layers and glazing that craft the perfect finish. Simultaneously, her artwork displays expertise in modern, contemporary techniques, together forming a breathtaking, vivid mosaic of Jewish artwork.
Education & Professional Experience:
Riki graduated the Avni Institute of Art in Tel Aviv; Jewish Art Program in Bar Ilan University; and College for Art and Sculpture in Ramat Gan.
She likewise completed a course by the Ministry of Education for Mission Leaders for Youth to Poland and travels numerous times each year to Poland as a guide and mentor for new leaders.
Riki currently directs the Tiferet School of Art and Drawing in Jerusalem.
Exhibits:
Group Exhibits:
Judaism and Art ZOA House, Tel Aviv
From the Soul Mevoah Gallery, Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem
Earth, Wind & Rain Givatayim Theater
Moonlight Sonata Jerusalem Theater
Transform the Darkness to Light Art & Wine Gallery, Old City of Jaffa
Duo Exhibit;
Avenue Banqueting Hall, London
Private Exhibits:
Colors of Time – Yahalomim Bridge, Ramat Gan
Faces Tiferet Institute, Bnei Brak
Behind the Scenes Malchut, Bnei Brak
Prizes
Winning Stage Manager Prize –Department of the Cinema
Commendation – Foundation of Second Authority for Young Artists
Best Documentary Prize – Council of Cable Broadcasts
Books
Ha’Efroach Sheratzah Lismoach, Feldheim Publishers. Several Editions. (Illustration design & photography).
Habayit Shel Yair, Feldheim Publishers. Several Editions. (Author & illustrator).
The theme of my art is intrinsically intertwined with my inner world.
The quaint, picturesque and pulsating bubble called Meah Shearim is a magnificent tapestry of life and beauty. I often meander through the stone alleys, venturing across invisible borders, sometimes an insider, sometimes an outsider, yet always a welcome guest. My senses and soul absorb the warmth of the language, soak up the tone and tenor more than the words. I am warmed by the pure simplicity revealed in these clear, untainted values, and I ensconce myself within the intimate stone walls, beyond the clear lines of demarcation that they erect. There are times when everything appears so foreign, so alien and distant; yet there are times when it also strikes the deepest chords of my soul, plays upon the string of my yearning, craving heart. The resultant feelings are expressed in a picture that is so alive, so vibrant and real that it draws me right back to those wondrous stone alleys time and again.
One of the qualities that I immediately discern is the authentic love of humanity that prevails in the courtyards and alleys of Meah Shearim, the sincere unity and togetherness that characterize its residents. These are people who are eternally bound together, fundamentally intertwined, who share a loving, eternal bond that will never be severed.
As a tour guide for root journeys to Poland, director, stage manager and artist, I devote many an hour to a traveling country whose earth is soaked with Jewish blood.
Do I discern an echo of the shtetl in the narrow streets and alleys of Meah Shearim? Does the distinct Jerusalem bubble refract the colors of long ago?
Many of the Jewish towns and sites that I’ve visited over the years now lay abandoned or overgrown. Others have been razed, the once-vibrant Jewish homes and institutions heartlessly overrun and developed into high-end ritzy neighborhoods complete with shopping malls and highway access roads or vast green parkland abundant with verdant trees and foliage.
Are these meant to conceal the past, or are they still playing its heartrending tune? Is it all just my imagination or is it reality? How does it reach so far, so deep, touching the innermost caverns in our souls?
I draw both beauty and ecstasy from these places. In both, I sense the loss of materialism, the unlocking of the mind and conscious that lead the soul to places without borders…
The soul transforms into a vessel free of contemporary burdens that melds past with present and paves a path toward understanding the profound internal messages, subconscious and secrets—that we term divine inspiration or spirit….
