The short film Studio Visit with Gili Avissar is available to watch at the top of the page.
Artist Gili Avissar seamlessly navigates the realms of object creation and performance, utilizing textiles as his primary medium in sculpture, installation, and video art. His practice involves a profound exploration of materials and movement, turning every work inside out to yield vivid, dynamic compositions. Through this journey, Avissar peels back layers to reveal the raw core, or as he describes it, the ‘flesh’ of his work.
A crucial driver behind Avissar’s work is a compelling exploration of self-identity in the face of social definitions. He grapples with how personal identity can be shaped, molded, and often confined by social constructs. His art becomes a powerful dialogue about individuality and the social pressures that can mediate the two. This exploration is not an abstract, external endeavor but an intimate, personal voyage into his own identity.
Avissar’s process, a reflection of his nomadic existence, relies on the use of temporary boundaries provided by the exhibition space. His work transforms these spaces into mutable environments, spaces he perceives as stages for creation, inhabitation, and, ultimately, metamorphosis. This dance between the artist and his environment plays out in his studio, a place that operates much like a one-man factory engrossed in mass production.
His studio, a veritable cocoon for freedom of thought and creativity, embodies his process of gathering, recycling, and repurposing. Remnants of fabric, paper, wood, cardboard, and plastic – materials ubiquitous in our daily lives – are stitched and assembled into shapes destined to become objects. This cycle of creation, bordering on compulsion, stems from a fear of emptiness, propelling Avissar into a constant state of artistic production. His motivation lies not only in the process of working but also in the subject matter it yields.
The layers of vibrant fabrics sewn together draw the viewer’s attention, inviting a deeper exploration into the complex emotion encapsulated within each piece. Video documentation, an evolving component of Avissar’s work, transitions from self-documentation to video performance, instilling life and movement into his creations.
We encourage you to watch the attached video for a more intimate understanding of Avissar’s creative process, including his intriguing exploration of self-identity in the face of external definitions.
The featured video Studio Visit with Gili Avissar is part of the web series Yotsrim by Shachaf Dekel. Yotsrim includes five seasons and 73 episodes. The series won the Best Documentary award at the NYC Web Fest in 2019.
