Shy Abady

Shy Abady
Shy Abady
Born	September 24, 1965 (age 61); Jerusalem, Israel
Occupation	Painter
Known for	Biographical series portraying notable personalities including Nijinsky, Hannah Arendt, Radu Klapper, and Paul Celan

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Shy Abady, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 1 December 2025

Shy Abady (; born 24 September 1965 in Jerusalem) is an Israeli painter recognized for his "biographical" series portraying notable personalities including Nijinsky, Hannah Arendt, Radu Klapper, and Paul Celan.

Education

Abady commenced his artistic journey early, studying painting under Ascher Rudnizcki and attending a drawing course at Bezalel Academy with Joram Rozov. He completed his studies at Hamidrasha – Faculty of the Arts in 1992 and later obtained a master's degree in Art History from Tel Aviv University during 2012–2014.

Career

His debut solo exhibition, "From Reality to Myth – Nijinsky" (1995), delved into the life of dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. In 2000, Abady was awarded a residency at "The Cité" in Paris, where he produced "Icon – The Golden Age," a series applying Christian iconographic methods to Jewish–Israeli subjects.

Abady’s oeuvre frequently engages with historical and political issues, as seen in series such as "My Other Germany," "Augusta Victoria," "Back to the Levant," and "A Boomerang on Breath-Routes." Some collections, including "Icon – the Golden Age" and "Marcuse, Pontormo and Me," explore artistic expression and the interplay between Western-Christian and Jewish-Israeli visual traditions. His works have been exhibited in leading galleries and museums both within Israel and abroad.

The "Hannah Arendt Project" was displayed at the Jewish Museum of Frankfurt in 2005 and subsequently at Tel Aviv's Beth Hatefutsoth museum in 2010, alongside pieces by Andy Warhol. His "Radu" series, centered on Israeli-Romanian poet Radu Klapper, premiered at Zadik Gallery in Jaffa in 2012.

During 2007–2008, Abady resided in Berlin, creating "My Other Germany," a reflection on German-Jewish history using allegorical portrayals of German monuments. Select works from this series were featured at the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art in 2014.

In 2009, he presented "The Revolution that Danced" at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, commemorating the centennial of Nijinsky and Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The "Augusta Victoria" series, initiated in 2010, investigates conversations between Theodor Herzl and Kaiser Wilhelm II, debuting at Tel Aviv's Dan Gallery in 2012. Portraits from this body of work were included in Budapest’s Hungarian National Gallery exhibition "Turning Points" (2014), which addressed pivotal events of the twentieth century.

Between 2012 and 2016, Abady developed "Marcuse, Pontormo and Me," engaging with creations by Jewish-German artist Elie Marcuse and Italian Mannerist Jacopo Pontormo to examine Christian-Western alongside Jewish-Israeli artistic traditions. This series was exhibited at Hamidrasha Gallery in 2022.

In 2016, Abady launched "Back to the Levant," combining elements of his familial history with regional political narratives. This collection includes portraits of Arab political figures viewed as adversarial within Israel alongside depictions of his own family members and incorporates sacred landmarks such as the Dome of the Rock. The series frames the Levant as a region embodying hybrid identities bridging Eastern and Western cultures. It was shown at Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery in November 2024 under the curation of Tali Tamir.

"The Restless" exhibition (2017) at Tel Aviv's Schechter Gallery presented portraits drawn from various series including "Marcuse, Pontormo and Me" and "Back to the Levant."

Starting in 2018, Abady created "The Burning Heat and the Donkey's Scream," a tribute to poet Paul Celan's visit to Israel in 1969. This series merges Celan’s poetry with visuals from East Jerusalem, emphasizing Arab-Levantine features previously underrepresented. Nine pieces were exhibited at Tel Aviv's Nahum Gutman Museum of Art in 2022.

In April 2021, five artworks from "Back to the Levant" were included in the "Sabra" exhibition at Schechter Gallery, which challenged prevailing myths about Israeli-Jewish identity through iconic cinematic imagery.

In 2023, Abady began "A Boomerang on the Breath-Routes," extending themes introduced in "My Other Germany." This series engages with German-Jewish history and Israeli realities through Walter Benjamin’s concept of the “Angel of History,” depicting figures such as Hanna Arendt, Paul Celan, Gal Gadot alongside symbolic emblems like the “Reichsadler” and “Star of David.” It reflects ongoing tensions within contemporary Israeli society and was presented at Beita Jerusalem gallery in March 2024 after delays caused by the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

Personal life

Abady identifies as gay and is partnered with Shy Lavi.

Solo exhibitions

1995 – From Reality to Myth Nijinsky, Beit Ariela, Tel Aviv.
1998 – Caressing, Beit-Haam Gallery, Tel Aviv.
1998 – Anatomy of Myth, Jerusalem Theater.
1999 – For Your Feet Only, The Artists' Residence, Herzliya.
2005 – Hannah Arendt Project, Jewish Museum Frankfurt am Main.
2006 – Hannah Arendt Project, Heinrich Boell Foundation Gallery, Bremen.
2006 – Hannah Arendt Project, Hannah Arendt Zentrum, Oldenburg.
2006 – Icon – The Golden Age, The Artists' House, Tel Aviv.
2006 – Hannah Arendt Project, Jerusalem Artists' House.
2009 – The revolution that danced, Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
2012 – Radu, Zadik Gallery, Jaffa.
2012 – Augusta Victoria, Dan Gallery, Tel Aviv.
2017 – The Restless, Schechter Gallery, Neve Schechter, Tel Aviv.
2021 – Sabra, Schechter Gallery, Tel Aviv.
2022 – Marcuse, Pontormo and Me, Hamidrasha Gallery-Hayarkon 19, Tel Aviv.
2024 – A Boomerang on Breath-Routes, Beita Jerusalem Gallery, Jerusalem.
2024 – Back to the Levant, Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery, Umm al-Fahm.

Selected group exhibitions

2001 – Traces at the Biennale for contemporary drawing in Israel held at Jerusalem Artists' House. 2004 – Tel Aviv Profile exhibited at the City Hall building in Tel Aviv. 2008 – Beware the aftereffects displayed in Berlin's Infernoesque exhibition. 2009 – Groom and Bride presented at The Jaffa Museum. 2010 – Jewish Icons: Andy Warhol and Israeli artists showcased at Beth Hatefutsoth museum in Tel Aviv. 2011 – Appropriated Place featured at Zadik Gallery in Jaffa. 2012 – On A Small Scale exhibited at Zadik Gallery in Jaffa. 2013 – Fans shown at Zadik Gallery in Jaffa. 2014 – Money and The Benevolent Tree at Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery; Back to Berlin at Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art; Turning Points at Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. 2015 – Libra and On the Face displayed respectively at Neve Schechter and Zadik galleries. 2016 – Black Box outdoor exhibition held in Jerusalem. 2017 – Homelands featured during The Jerusalem Biennale. 2018 – Shortly Back exhibited at Zadik gallery in Jaffa. 2019 – Jacqueline Kahanoff: The Levant as a Parable presented at Eretz Israel Museum; In The East exhibitions held at Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center (Tel Aviv University) as well as Dwek Gallery (Mishkenot Sha'ananim), Jerusalem; TL;DR-The Exhibitions That Won't Be hosted at Zadik Gallery. 2022 – Paul Celan/69/A Visit on display at Nahum Gutman Museum of Art.

External links