Yohanan Delaunay-Israël

Written By Art Market .

Yohanan Delaunay-Israël: The Confluence Of Art And Healing

“My art has also been deeply influenced by expressions of madness, whether in the ephemeral creations of patients, the raw art of ordinary people, or the writings of Antonin Artaud and others.”

A Tapestry of Experience: From France to Jerusalem

Yohanan Delaunay-Israël‘s career is a testament to the power of art to transcend the mere boundaries of expression and delve into the profound interplay between the human psyche and spirituality. Born in Bressuire, France, in 1955, Delaunay-Israël embarked on a journey that would not only shape his career but also redefine his connection with the world around him. At the tender age of 14, he took his first steps into the world of art, attending evening classes that would ignite a flame of passion, guiding him toward a future rich in artistic exploration. This early exposure to the arts paved the way for his formal education at the Institute of Visual Arts in Orléans, followed by advanced studies at the prestigious National Superior School of Art in Nice, where he honed his skills and developed a unique artistic voice.

Delaunay-Israël’s artistic journey took a significant turn in the late 1980s when he began to gain recognition through a series of monographic exhibitions, particularly notable were those held in 1989 and 1996 at the Contemporary Art Center of Carré Saint Vincent in Orléans. These exhibitions, supported by grants from the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs – Ministry of Culture and Communication, marked a pivotal moment in his career, showcasing his evolving artistic vision to a broader audience. This period was not merely about gaining public and critical acclaim; it was a phase where Delaunay-Israël began to explore deeper into the landscapes of human emotion and spirit, offering viewers a glimpse into the intricate tapestry of his mind and soul through his art. These exhibitions were a doorway to understanding the breadth of Delaunay-Israël’s talent and the depth of his commitment to exploring the myriad dimensions of human existence.

Yohanan Delaunay-Israël: A Dual Path to Enlightenment

Yohanan Delaunay-Israël’s academic and professional endeavors extend far beyond the conventional boundaries of art, venturing into the realms of healthcare and community service. His educational journey at the Institute of Visual Arts in Orléans and Villa Arson laid a solid foundation, but it was his foray into psychiatric nursing that highlighted his commitment to exploring the therapeutic potentials of art. This unique blend of art and healthcare reflects Delaunay-Israël’s holistic approach to his craft and his deep-seated belief in art’s power to heal and transform lives. His pursuit of management studies further exemplifies his dedication to integrating art within healthcare settings, showcasing his vision of art as a pivotal element in community well-being and mental health.

Delaunay-Israël’s role at the Georges Daumezon Mental Health Hospital stands as a testament to his innovative approach to integrating art into healthcare. His initiatives in psychiatric nursing and cultural management have not only enriched the hospital’s environment but have also offered patients, staff, and the community a new lens through which to experience and engage with art. Under his leadership, the hospital embraced artist residencies and cultural programs, illustrating the profound impact art can have in therapeutic settings. These initiatives were not just about beautifying spaces; they were about creating a dialogue between art and healing, offering new pathways for understanding and engagement. Delaunay-Israël’s recognition in 2015 by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration of Israel underscores his impactful contributions, highlighting his role as a cultural bridge-builder and a champion for the transformative power of art in society.

Yohanan Delaunay-Israël: The Evolution of an Artistic Vision

Yohanan Delaunay-Israël’s artistic evolution is a testament to the power of diverse influences and interdisciplinary exploration. After completing his formal education in both art and psychiatric nursing, Delaunay-Israël dedicated himself to painting, a medium through which he would deeply investigate the themes of abstraction, historical artistic movements, and the interplay of geometry and color. His work, inspired by a wide array of sources—from the prehistoric murals of Lascaux to the avant-garde principles of the Support-Surface movement and American minimalists, as well as the intricacies of Chinese painting—reflects a profound engagement with the history and possibilities of visual expression. This eclectic blend of influences has enabled Delaunay-Israël to develop a distinctive style that bridges the past and present, the personal and universal.

The artist’s approach to painting is characterized by a methodical yet spontaneous process. Working on multiple canvases simultaneously allows him to maintain a fresh perspective on each piece, a technique that fosters both continuity and innovation in his work. His use of transparent, fluid colors and the strategic extension of compositional lines beyond the canvas’s edges reveal a meticulous attention to form and the dynamic interplay of light and color. Delaunay-Israël’s commitment to a process-oriented approach, devoid of preliminary sketches, underscores the importance of intuition and discovery in his creative process. Through this method, he invites viewers into a world where each piece is a journey, offering insights into the intricate dance of form, color, and composition that defines his art.

Bridging Communities Through Art: Exhibitions, Projects, and Advocacy

Beyond the canvas, Yohanan Delaunay-Israël’s engagement with the art community and society at large has been both profound and impactful. His participation in solo and group exhibitions, from the intimate settings of his studio in Jerusalem to larger cultural events, has allowed him to share his vision with a diverse audience. Exhibitions like “Ici et maintenant” and “Lishma” not only showcase Delaunay-Israël’s evolving artistic journey but also invite the public to engage directly with his work, fostering a dialogue between the artist and his audience. This openness to engagement reflects Delaunay-Israël’s belief in the power of art to connect, communicate, and inspire across cultural and social divides.

Delaunay-Israël’s contributions to the field extend beyond his individual art practice. His work in cultural management and mental health advocacy, particularly through the establishment of artist residencies and the integration of art into healthcare settings, highlights his commitment to using art as a tool for healing and community building. The recognition of his efforts underscores the impact of his work in bridging art with social causes. Through these endeavors, Delaunay-Israël not only enriches the artistic landscape but also contributes to a broader understanding of art’s role in fostering well-being and dialogue in society.

Courtesy : Bianca Kann AATONAU

Born in France in 1955, I have lived and worked in Jerusalem since 2015. I began painting at the age of 14 in an evening class at middle school. Trained at the Institut d'Art Visuels in Orléans (1975/76) and at the Villa Arson (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Arts) in Nice (1976/79), I then, alongside my artistic activity, worked as a nurse and psychiatric care manager at the EPSM Georges Daumezon in Loiret. From then on, balancing studio and hospital duties on a daily basis, painting and psychiatry evolved simultaneously, each in the light and shadow of the other. Along with fatherhood and Judaism, they were my only true sources of inspiration.

In 1984, after a vocational certificate in building painting and my studies as a psychiatric nurse, I decided to return to painting. Going back in time, it had led me from the beginnings of abstraction to the bison of Fond de Gaume and the blown hands of Gargas, via Support Surface, American painting, the Quatrocento, and the Chinese painting of the "Bitter Pumpkin Monk." And then, at the borders of art and psychiatry, there were also expressions of madness, whether in the often short-lived works of patients: poems, drawings, confidences, words, coming from the depths of oneself, in the art brut of ordinary men, or even in the "é-cris" of Artaud and others. So I picked it up where I had "left off": in the heart of a geometric diamond-shaped composition created in Nice in 1977. I returned to my usual practice: working flat, compositional lines extending beyond the format, while moving away from the immediacy of Expressionism with simple, uniform gestures and transparent, liquid colors drawing their contours along the cutting lines. My gaze turned towards what happens in the painting after each gesture or color application.

I generally work from compositional principles drawn from art history and geometry (circular symmetry, the geometric construction of the Gates of Harmony and the Golden Proportion). Without sketches or preliminary work, I work on several paintings simultaneously, sometimes as many as five or six. The more there are, the more likely I am to be able to forget them and rediscover them with surprise. I intervene once in each session, without regret, on a part of each of them.

Everything begins randomly with a sort of roll of the dice: the placement on the canvas or stretched paper of three geometric shapes derived from the principle of composition. Each one carries the design of the six or seven others that compose it. A shape emerges from this intersection, itself carrying many others to come. Flat gestures and lines, white, black, or colored, alternately connect with these creations in the unexpectedness of "free association." Each element has a life of its own, and is first drawn or painted blank, in order to glimpse and anticipate where and how they might appear in the painting.

They are painted by obscuring their surroundings, and the designs and shapes resulting from their juxtaposition are revealed afterward. The application of the layers itself decomposes over time, and the transparency reveals the different layers of the painting's development.

My works have been exhibited in France and Israel and are featured on several contemporary art sites and galleries. Two catalogs published by the Contemporary Art Center of the Scène Nationale d'Orléans were dedicated to me, featuring texts by the painter Christian Bonnefoi, "La pose du temps" (The Pose of Time) and by art historian Tristan Trémeau, "Peindre avec réserve" (Painting with Reserve). I myself have written several articles about my work, as well as about the artistic practice workshops and cultural projects I have led at the hospital.

As a co-founder of the artist collective "Le Pays Où le Ciel est Toujours Bleu," I was also responsible for cultural projects at the E.P.S.M. from 2000 to 2015. Georges Daumezon, particularly with the establishment of an "Art and Architecture" artist residency in partnership with the Frac Centre and the creation of a monumental work by André Robillard to mark the institution's centenary.

Since my return to abstraction in 1984, I have been captivated by the question of the advent of the painting, and I would like each painting to reveal its history, the story of its emergence.

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