Jerusalem Matador *

Ilan Itach was born in Jerusalem in 1975 where he still lives and works. Itach is a self-taught artist from an immigrant, working-class neighborhood in Jerusalem. His first studio was nestled on a hilltop overlooking Jerusalem’s picturesque Old City whose ancient walls appear in many of his early artworks.Itach was inspired by Israeli master artist, Ivan Schwebel from whom he learned special painting techniques. He has spent considerable periods of his professional career painting abroad, particularly in Spain’s Toledo and Seville, where he immersed himself in the rich and colorful Spanish culture of music and dance.Itach derives methods from the Renaissance painters, who created their own paints and colors.

“In our times it’s very hard to find specific strong and deep colors.”

Accordingly Itach formulates his own original colors using pigments with the Renaissance techniques to create specific colors. This is a complicated process that can take up to 3 days.