Nirit Takele

Figurative artist Nirit Takele showcases the power of her people in all her work, bringing her imaginative concepts to life in vibrant color. The Ethiopian Israeli artist’s solo exhibition, The Space Between Us, is paradigmatic of her striking work. The exhibition is comprised of 14 pieces that reflect the chaos of the pandemic, the intricacies of protest and community, and the reality of the Beta Israel population. Takele draws not only from her experience as one of the 14,000 Ethiopians who arrived in Israel during Operation Solomon (a military initiative that transported thousands of Africans to Israel in 1991), but also from the issues that plague her culture to this day. There’s a holiness to her art, as she describes it. Ideas about gender, race, and the impact of femininity on modern culture are integral to her art, and she takes care to bring them to life while bringing awareness to the thousands of Ethiopians who reside in Israel today.