Katz, Zarfati, and Erela, who have rich and prolific bodies of works, advanced and developed the field of illustration in Israel. But beyond their unique talent and iconic status in the local art field, they had another distinctive attribute in common, which lies at the heart of the exhibition Rock, Textile, Scissors: all three broke out of the confines of the white page and book format, and succeeded in translating their illustrative language into less common materials, such as concrete, fabric, cardboard, and iron. They all engaged in painting, illustration, sculpture, and drawing, without feeling the need to define the field they were operating in.

While today’s artists are required to declare their specific field of activity at the start of their professional career – art, design, graphics, illustration, etc. – in the not-so-distant past things were different. The exhibition invites visitors to learn more about these three well-known illustrators and illuminates them in a new light. It explores how Katz’s graceful geometric style is expressed in ceramic tiles and concrete surfaces; how Zarfati harnessed her engagement as a sculptor with material and mass and her fascination as a painter with color and patches to create textile works rich in patterns and colors; and how Erela managed to render the sketchy and minimalist linear character of her drawings into presence-filled paper cutouts.

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