Motke Blum, Israeli Modernist Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting

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size is with frame. Motke Blum was born in Racacun, Romania in 1925. Early in his childhood, the Blum family … Read more size is with frame. Motke Blum was born in Racacun, Romania in 1925. Early in his childhood, the Blum family moved to Bukarest where they settled in a house situated near a circus. The circus would become young Blum's greatest love. He befriended several of the clowns and other performers and, when not painting or playing in clay, Blum could be found enjoyoing the company of these spirited entertainers. These experiences would later become a recurring theme in many of his works of art. In 1938, he was taken by the Romanian Iron Guard. When the Germans invaded Romania, Blum was taken to a forced labor camp. Even during his imprisonment, he continued to create art, painting on the walls of the camp. He escaped the camp in 1944 and boarded an immigrants' ship to Israel. One of the three ships in the convoy was sunk by a German torpedo. Motke later incorporated shipwrecks, boats, and other maritime subjects into several of his paintings. Over the course of his long and fruitful career, Blum showed internationally at over fifty one-man-shows with exhibits in Israel, Holland, England, Belgium, the United States, France, Australia, and more. His art has been commissioned for public buildings and by prominant figures in Israel and around the world, and a series of posters were commissioned by the Justice Ministry and the Ministry of Tourism. Giving back to the community has been a focus throughout his life. After establishing a studio at Chutzot Hayotzer, Motke welcomed schools and both adults and children with special needs, using painting and creativity as a means of teaching people to find their inner strength. Motke has contirubuted several of his works to schools, clubs, institutions, the IDF, and other special organizations. Additionally, he has donated several paintings to fund philanthropies and organizations for the benefit of education and social activity. See less