Reut Dafna

Reut Dafna, painter and resident of Kibbutz Maoz Haim, set against the backdrop of the lush Emek HaMa’ayanot in Israel’s north.
I am a graduate of the Tel-Hai Arts Institute, Israel, where I studied Fine art.
I hold a Bachelor's degree from The Arts Institute of Tel-Hai College and studied advanced drawing with the artist Avinoam Kosowsky in Tel Aviv and also with Elie Shamir.
In addition, I am mother to Eilon and Nitzan, an especially bouncy pair – which is why I probably enjoy painting them as they sleep.

I specialize in the unique technique of drawing with powdered charcoal. However, I am always ready for new artistic experiences, and enjoy venturing across the board, delving into special techniques, different tools, and learning from wonderful teachers.
I draw my inspiration mainly from those who surround me in daily life. I enjoy deep contemplation as I consider people from different perspectives, as well as the ability to capture certain moments that remain suspended in time.
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Every painting is a story I’d like to tell; an entire world created through a passionate desire; a treasure that holds tiny moments of silence, moments flowing with power as they transcend through time.

In my creations, the images almost always gaze peacefully into the empty space as their various poses and positions create movement and flow.
My main technique is drawing with brushes and powdered charcoal as my media. The uniqueness of this technique provides the ability to fill large surfaces, thus creating particularly large and impressive paintings. Through the complex process, which is achieved in stages, I develop the subject layer by layer with great concentration, as I blend shades to form smooth transitions and different textures, until it emerges from the paper as if alive.
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My more recent artworks were created with oil paints on canvas. Most have a color base, however each artwork has its own dominant color, revealing a rich monochrome composition. My work is inspired by old photographs from family albums, and the archives of the kibbutz where my husband, Asaf, grew up, and where we currently reside and are raising our children. Between the paintings of my children and those revealing life on the kibbutz as it was, you obtain a feel for the kibbutz spirit, both past and present.
Working with the photographs gives me a sense of belonging, and my completed creations helps forge the connection with the community and the stories playing out behind the photographs.Reut Dafna, painter and resident of Kibbutz Maoz Haim, set against the backdrop of the lush Emek HaMa’ayanot in Israel’s north.
I am a graduate of the Tel-Hai Arts Institute, Israel, where I studied Fine art.
I hold a Bachelor's degree from The Arts Institute of Tel-Hai College and studied advanced drawing with the artist Avinoam Kosowsky in Tel Aviv and also with Elie Shamir.
In addition, I am mother to Eilon and Nitzan, an especially bouncy pair – which is why I probably enjoy painting them as they sleep.

I specialize in the unique technique of drawing with powdered charcoal. However, I am always ready for new artistic experiences, and enjoy venturing across the board, delving into special techniques, different tools, and learning from wonderful teachers.
I draw my inspiration mainly from those who surround me in daily life. I enjoy deep contemplation as I consider people from different perspectives, as well as the ability to capture certain moments that remain suspended in time.
‍
Every painting is a story I’d like to tell; an entire world created through a passionate desire; a treasure that holds tiny moments of silence, moments flowing with power as they transcend through time.

In my creations, the images almost always gaze peacefully into the empty space as their various poses and positions create movement and flow.
My main technique is drawing with brushes and powdered charcoal as my media. The uniqueness of this technique provides the ability to fill large surfaces, thus creating particularly large and impressive paintings. Through the complex process, which is achieved in stages, I develop the subject layer by layer with great concentration, as I blend shades to form smooth transitions and different textures, until it emerges from the paper as if alive.
‍
My more recent artworks were created with oil paints on canvas. Most have a color base, however each artwork has its own dominant color, revealing a rich monochrome composition. My work is inspired by old photographs from family albums, and the archives of the kibbutz where my husband, Asaf, grew up, and where we currently reside and are raising our children. Between the paintings of my children and those revealing life on the kibbutz as it was, you obtain a feel for the kibbutz spirit, both past and present.
Working with the photographs gives me a sense of belonging, and my completed creations helps forge the connection with the community and the stories playing out behind the photographs.