Calman Shemi Sculptures
Argentinian, b. 1939
Calman Shemi was born in Argentina in 1939. He studied sculpture and ceramics at the School of Mendoza in Argentina. In 1961, Shemi emigrated to Israel, and in 1963 he began studying sculpture with Rudi Lehman. He created his first "soft" paintings in 1977. Since 1978, he has worked primarily in serigraphy and acrylic paintings. In 1999, Shemi developed the "windows" and the "lacquer" painting techniques. The "window" or "shadow box" painting is a unique form of artistic expression. First Shemi creates a painting in a wooden box. After completion of the painting, he affixes a customized wooden frame to the box. This unusual technique results in the illusion of looking through a window to the landscape or into a room. The frame is then covered with silver or gold leaf and finally lacquered. The final result is a piece of art that emphasizes the contrast between the outside level and the painting within a deeper level.
Lacquer paintings are also one of Shemi's original creations. These works usually begin as an exciting abstract design or still-life painted on wood or on a metal panel that has been covered in layers of gold and/or silver leaf. After the paint has dried, the painting is gilded with many layers of lacquer. Between each layer of lacquer the surface is hand polished to give it a metallic finish, resulting in a luminous effect.
Remarkably, artist Shemi has had 71 one-man shows all around the world, including Israel, France, Singapore, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Canada, Spain Germany, the United States and elsewhere. His works are displayed in the Spertus Museum of Judaica, the Fashion Institute of Chicago, Citibank in New York, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, just to name a few.to
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Artist: Calman Shemi
Large Israeli Colorful Metal Wall Sculpture Painting Circus Scene Calman Shemi
By Calman Shemi
Located in Surfside, FL
Calman Shemi (1939-)
Laser cut metal wall sculpture 3D
Titled "Circus"
Signed on the front lower left edge, and signed, numbered, and titled verso.
Marked, Jerusalem
Limited edition,...
Category
1990s Contemporary Calman Shemi Sculptures
Materials
Metal
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Artist Biography: Calman Shemi, sculptor and painter, was born in Argentina in 1939. A graduate of the School of Sculpture and Ceramics in Mendoza, he studied with the Italian-Argentine sculptor Libero Badii and the German-Israeli sculptor Rudi Lehman.
In 1961, he settled in Israel and joined Kibbutz Carmia where he was a member for twenty years. There he worked in agriculture and also as a sculptor, working in wood and clay.
Shemi has acknowledged many influences in his art and his life; the dramatic colors of his childhood in Argentina, the sun-baked landscape of his home in Israel, the sensuous colorism of Matisse, the philosophies of his art teachers, and even the ritualistic symbols of the ancient past. His working method, which relies on the assistance of skilled artisans to execute much of the technical part of producing his works, affirms Shemi's strong commitment to the communal ethic rooted in his experience on the Kibbutz.
In 1977, Shemi's work became an international symbol of peace when Israel's President Katzir presented a Shemi painting to the late President Anwar Sadat of Egypt.
Sculpture dominated his early years as an artist. In 1977, while living in the Kibbutz he developed the idea of the "soft painting" medium. In his "soft paintings", he begins with a color drawing done to scale. He then layers irregularly shaped pieces of variously textured and colored fabrics resulting in vibrant compositions infused with exuberant color and explosive movement.
In recent years, Shemi has worked intensively with wall sculptures made of painted laser-cut steel, his new field of expression.
Over the last fifteen years, he has held more than seventy one-man-shows in the USA, Japan, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Israel including an exhibition at Saper Galleries in 1991. Several of Shemi's large-scale fiberglass and polyester projects are situated in various public buildings throughout the world.
Calman Shemi also created 1,200 prints for cabins of the "Sensation", a Carnival Cruises oceanliner, large-scale paintings for the liner's suites and the public places. Shemi has also created paintings and sculptures for two other Carnival Cruise Lines: the "Elevation" and the "Paradise".
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Calman Shemi sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Calman Shemi sculptures available for sale on 1stDibs. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Daniel Fiorda, Antonio Asis, and Julio Le Parc.




