“Azaz has no emotional or sentimental attitude to materials – he conceives in whatever material he uses.”
Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1965
Key Dates
Here you can view a timeline of key dates and events in the career of Nehemia Azaz.
Chronology
| 1923 | Born Berlin. October 9, taken to Palestine at the age of 3 months. Educated Palestine. |
| 1946 | Apprenticed to stonemason, Bologna, Italy. |
| 1947 | Apprenticed to sculptor & stained-glass maker, Amsterdam, Holland. |
| 1949-50 | Studied part-time at Grand Chaumiere, Paris, France. |
| 1953-4 | Studied ceramic chemistry, Holland. |
| 1954-5 | Worked in pottery - London, UK. |
| 1955 | Ceramic sculptures included in exhibition with LS Lowry and Josef Herman at Wakefield Art Gallery. |
| 1955-59 | Founded & managed "Harsa" ceramic art factory and training school, Beersheva; designed forms and glazes for production. |
| 1957 | First architectural artwork, using local and found materials, Beersheva. |
| 1960 | First large scale architectural art commission to receive international media attention, Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv. |
| 1962/3 | First architectural art commissions in USA – Spertus Museum of Judaica and Loop Synagogue, Chicago. |
| 1963-65 | Artist in Residence, Carmel College, Oxford, UK. |
| 1965 | Established studio base in UK. |
| 1972/3 | Created large scale sculpture for The Israeli Lounge, The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. |
| 1965-2008 | Lived & worked in the UK, whilst undertaking commissions in Israel, US and Europe. |
| 2008 | Died 28 October. |
Exhibitions
Exhibitions – Group & One Man Shows
| 1955 | Wakefield Gallery, Wakefield - with LS Lowry and Josef Herman |
| 1956 | Exhibition of Art Ceramics; Rina Gallery, Jerusalem. With Pnina Amir and Chana Frank |
| 1956 | Mikra Studio, Tel-Aviv |
| 1956 | The Traclin Art Gallery, Haifa |
| 1959 | The Traclin Art Gallery, Haifa |
| 1959 | Chemerinski Gallery, Tel-Aviv |
| 1960 | Beit Haam, Beersheva |
| 1965 | Grosvenor Gallery, London - Solo |
| 1966 | Galerie Semiha Huber, Zurich; Camden Arts Centre, London |
| 1967 | Galerie Artek, Helsinki |
| 1987 | Metaphors in Bronze and Wood;International Contemporary Art Fair, London |
| 1987 | Metaphors in Bronze and Wood; Mabat Art Gallery, Tel Aviv |
| 1994 | Julius Gottlieb Gallery, Oxfordshire |
Exhibitions – Contributor
| 1958 | Forms of Israel, USA Touring show, American Crafts Council (1958-60) |
| 1959 | XVII Concorso Nazionale Della Ceramica, Faenza |
| 1959 | Biennale of Sculpture in the Open Air, Museum of Modern Art, Haifa - Curator: Pola Eichenbaum |
| 1962 | Everyday Arts and Crafts of Israel, past and present, Oakland Public Museum - Selected by: Judah L. Magnes Museum |
| 1965 | Fifty years of Sculpture: Some aspects 1914 – 1964: Grosvenor Gallery, London |
| 1966 | Experiment in Form, Grosvenor Gallery, London |
| 1966 | Sculpture in a Civic Setting, Swiss Cottage Library, Hampstead Festival - Organised by Jesse Watkins and Charles Spencer |
| 1967 | Pavilion of Judaism, Expo 1967, Montreal |
| 1969 | An Exhibition of Outdoor Sculpture, Blenheim Palace Garden centre, Woodstock |
| 1973 | Summer Exhibition, Villa Mairea, Noormark, Finland |
| 1987 | The Beginnings of Israeli Ceramics, Herziliya Museum of Art |
| 2007 | Pottery works, 1956-1966, Harsa, Beit Aharon Kahana, Ramat Gan |
| 2013 | On the Flip Side, Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center, Tel Aviv-Yaffo |
| 2020 | Requiem to Harsa, Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center, Tel Aviv-Yaffo |
Links & references
Nehemia Azaz's international career spanned several continents, where he was also known as Henri, Nechemia, Nehemiah and NH Azaz.
1. The Israel Museum Information Center for Israeli Art catalogue.
2. Smithsonian American Art Museums Art Inventories Catalog", Henri Azaz List entries
4. Israel Architecture Archive, Works by NH Azaz
Contact
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