The Tsfat artist Isaac Benshaya
Comes from Canada and was born in Venezuela, He is now in Tsfat for four years specializing in expressionism art with elements from the surrealism style.
Returning to a G-dly life which is called Teshuva completely changes the way of the artist in a personal positive expression. The art that Isaac Benshaya created before making a return to a G-dly life was known as strictly conceptual art which is an art that is completely immersed in contrasting thoughts based in intellectuality. In this style the abstract thought is bound in physical matter. The artist's work changed dramatically after returning to a spiritual life and is likened a work which takes a synthesis of color with a pretext of thoughts of holiness that are connected with the city of Tsfat.
For example while working with the blue green and purples, He uses purple to represent the majesty of the Messiah, the blue sky to relate to the mystical aura of the city with colors and green to represent nature according to what is represented as Kabbalah themes as explained in the holy writing of the Zohar for example the three levels of the soul are represented by arrows and prayer represents a communion of the Jew in his heart with his Creator. The dove symbolizes peace and the hope for the Messiah's immediate arrival. Other symbols represent Yosef the Righteous and a sinless body as they oppose the evil eye paralleled by the good eye representing Avraham. The star of David represents King David and as well the arrival of the Messiah.
The shofar and other symbols represent the 613 commandments that must be accomplished in order to bring the Messiah. All of the nuances and hints to Messiah reflect the consensus and awareness of every Jew and the vital consciousness that represents a complete Teshuva in an immediate way.
The artist's goal is to bring holiness into the house of the Jew in the form of images that surround the aesthetical principals of the Artist's philosophy. The wife of the artist Isaac is also an artist that studied in the same institute and her art is as well representing themes like the five books of Moses. They met in the art school in Venezuela and since then have shared 35 years of art experience.
One of the conditions of living and working in Tsfat is working with art in complete happiness as explained in the following... Every soul chooses the precise site where it belongs. The soul knows and chooses accordingly. Tsfat is not a location but a dimension that must be discovered and explored. Inside the returning to G-d, one understands clearly that the artist is not the creator but a re creator for the only creator is G-d blessed be He. for example color is just a representation of light in the eye that makes a clear effect on the soul.
Translator Avi Roitman for the Artist Isaac Benshaya thanking you and wishing blessings to all the visitors on Tsfat.org.