Shai Azoulay

{{Short description|Israeli painter (born 1971)}} {{Multiple issues| {{COI|date=April 2021}} {{BLP sources|date=July 2021}} {{overly detailed|date=July 2021}} {{prose|date=July 2021}} }} {{Infobox artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Shai Azoulay | honorific_suffix = | native_name = {{Nobold|{{Script/Hebrew|שי אזולאי}}}} | native_name_lang = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = Shai Azoulay | birth_name = | birth_date = 1971 | birth_place = Kiryat Shmona, Israel | height =  | weight =  | spouse = Daniella{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} | awards = | website = [http://www.sazoulay.com/ www.sazoulay.com] | footnotes = | box_width = }}

'''Shai Azoulay''' ({{Langx|he| שי אזולאי‎}}; born in 1971) is an Israeli painter. Azoulay lives and works in Jerusalem and is a faculty member of the Fine Art Department of The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.

==Biography== Azoulay was born in 1971 in Kiryat Shmona.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} His family moved to Arad when he was a child. After his army service, he traveled to the Far East, where he began to paint. He began his art studies at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in the mid-1990s and graduated in 2000 with a BFA degree and in 2007 with an MFA degree.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yahas |first1=Tal |title=Superpartners |date=2011 |publisher=Tel Aviv Museum of Art |page=96}}</ref>

Azoulay has exhibited both in Israel and worldwide including Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2011),<ref>{{cite web |title=Superpartners |url=https://www.tamuseum.org.il/en/exhibition/superpartners-shai-azoulay-and-reuven-israel/ |website=Tel Aviv Museum}}</ref> ARATANIURANO Gallery, Tokyo (2013), Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art (2018),<ref>{{cite web |title=A Dwelling Down Below |url=https://www.herzliyamuseum.co.il/en/exhibition/shai-azoulay/ |website=Herzliya Museum}}</ref> The Israel Museum Jerusalem (2019)<ref>{{cite web |title=Sugar Cube |url=https://www.imj.org.il/en/artistec/shai-azoulay |website=The Israel Museum}}</ref> as well as group exhibitions in New York, London, Paris, Berlin and Rome. His works are included in public and private collections including The Israel Museum, The Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Ashdod Museum of Art, Bank Hapoalim, Israel Discount Bank, and Bank Leumi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kers Gallery |url=https://galleryviewer.com/en/gallery/68/kersgallery/artists/369/shai-azoulay |website=Gallery viewer |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Shai Azoulay |url=https://www.saic.edu/events/shai-azoulay |website=School of the Art Institute of Chicago |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref>

Azoulay is a faculty member of the Fine Art Department of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (“Oman" Haredi Extension)<ref name="Oman">{{cite web |title=Bezalel Faculty|url=http://www.oman.org.il/%D7%A1%D7%92%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%A7%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%AA/ |website=Oman |accessdate=5 November 2020}}</ref> Among the awards that he has received are Legacy Heritage Fund Prize for a Young Artist, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv (2007), The Osnat Mozes Prize for Painting for a Young Artist, The Artists House, Jerusalem (2007), Creative Encouragement Award, Ministry of Culture and Sport (2011), Ministry of Culture Award (2018) and The Israeli Lottery 'Landau Prize' for arts and science (2020)<ref name="Israel Museum">{{cite web |title=The Israel Museum|url=https://museum.imj.org.il/artcenter/newsite/en/?artist=Azoulay,%20Shai&list=A) |website=Information Center for Israeli Art |accessdate=5 November 2020}}</ref>

Azoulay lives and works in Jerusalem. He is married to Daniella Azoualy, a ceramic artist. Together they have six children.<ref>{{Citation |first=Daniella |last=Azoulay |year=2019 |title=Israeli Identity Card |publisher=Ministry of the Interior |location=Jerusalem |language=he}}</ref> His brother is the actor Golan Azoulay.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dancing Between Worlds |url=https://qarov.org/%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%93%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%AA |website=Qarov |accessdate=18 November 2020 |language=he}}</ref>

==Work== In their recommendation to reward Azoulay with the prize for a young artist, the members of the Osnat Mozes committee commented that they "...were deeply impressed by Azoulay’s command of painterly skills, his knowledge of the history of painting, and of the contemporary critical discourse." They further noted: "In his paintings, Shai Azoulay moves along a narrow thread stretched between historical narrative and intimate-human stories. With a seemingly gentle and ironic touch he deconstructs modernist and national mythologies, while reconstructing from them refreshing pictures lacking pretension which reveal as if for the first time the possibility of creating a dynamic world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Decision of the Prize Jury |url=https://www.art.org.il/?exhibitions=shai-azoulay&lang=en) |website=Jerusalem Artists' House |accessdate=5 November 2020}}</ref>

In her essay for Azoulay's exhibition "Closer to the Sun", Michal Shachani Yacobi states "The relationship between the painting and Hasidism, or between painting and tradition and faith, occupies Azoulay in his works. He uses them to reexamine concepts, rabbinical homilies, and stories borrowed from the worlds of Torah and Jewish mysticism."<ref name="Tivon">{{cite book |title=Closer to the Sun, Shai Azoulay |publisher=The Gallery for Israeli Art at the Tivon Memorial Center |pages=33–34}}</ref>

Azoulay's has a spanish mother and a moroccan father.<ref name="Storer"/> When Azoulay was 8 years old, the family moved from Kiryat Shmona to Arad, located in the Negev desert. He later depicted these landscapes in his works. The desert is "so active, but under the surface," he says; it is "working from the quiet."<ref name="Storer">{{cite journal |last1=Storer |first1=Abraham |title=A Head like Two Heads: "The Paintings of Shai Azoulay" |journal=The Image Journal |issue=98 |url=https://imagejournal.org/article/a-head-like-two-heads-the-paintings-of-shai-azouly/}}</ref>

Upon completion of his requisite three-year army service, Azoulay traveled across Asia, being inspired to become an artist while in Thailand.<ref name="Storer"/> He went on to attend Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.<ref name="Storer"/> Around the time of his graduation with an MFA in 2007, he began to become more religiously observant.<ref name="Storer"/> Being religiously observant is unusual in the Israeli art scene, of which he is a leading figure.<ref name="Storer"/>

Azoulay is a follower of the 19th century Jewish mystic, teacher, and storyteller, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov,<ref name="Storer"/> a key influencer in the development of Breslov Hasidic Judaism.<ref name="Storer"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Nachman |first1=Rabbi|title=Likutey Moharan II, 24 (translated by Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum) |url=https://www.azamra.org/Essential/joy.htm |access-date=8 November 2020}}</ref>

==Exhibitions==

===Select solo exhibitions=== * ''Shai Azoulay – Outpost'', Jerusalem Artists House, 25 October – 7 December 2003<ref>{{cite web |title=Outpost |url=https://www.art.org.il/?jerusalem-artists=azoulay-shai&lang=en |website=Jerusalem Artists House |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''Shai Azoulay'', Jerusalem Artists House, 13 October – 24 November 2007<ref>{{cite web |title=Azoulay Shai |url=https://www.art.org.il/?exhibitions=shai-azoulay&lang=en |website=The Jerusalem Artists House}}</ref> * ''A Whole Heart is a Broken Heart'', Sotheby's, Tel Aviv, 17 May –7 June 2012<ref>{{cite web |title=Shai Azoulay, Exhibitions |url=https://museum.imj.org.il/artcenter/newsite/en/exhibitions/?artist=Azoulay,%20Shai&list=A |website=Israel Museum, Information Center for Israeli Art |accessdate=8 November 2020}}</ref> * ''[http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/guided-imagery Guided Imagery]'', Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv ,20 March – 15 May 2014<ref>{{cite web |title=Guided Imagery |url=http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/guided-imagery |website=Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''[http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/dos Dos]'', Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art, 14 April – 21 May 2016<ref>{{cite web |title=Dos |url=http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/dos |website=Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''[http://www.meislinprojects.com/exhibitions/shai-azoulay Shortcuts]'', Meislin Projects, NY, USA, 10 November 2016 – 27 January 2017<ref>{{cite web |title=Shortcuts |url=http://www.meislinprojects.com/exhibitions/shai-azoulay |website=Meislin Projects |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''[https://www.herzliyamuseum.co.il/en/exhibition/shai-azoulay/?_sf_s=shai+az Shai Azoulay: A Dwelling Down Below]'', Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Herzliya, 24 February – 3 June 2018<ref>{{cite web |title=A Dwelling Down Below |url=https://www.herzliyamuseum.co.il/en/exhibition/shai-azoulay/?_sf_s=shai+az |website=Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art}}</ref> * ''[http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/kitzur-shulchan-aruch-0 Shai Azoulay: Kitzur Schulchan Aruch]'', Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art, 6 September – 2 November 2019<ref>{{cite web |title=Kitsur Shulchan Aruch |url=http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/kitzur-shulchan-aruch-0 |website=Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref>

===Group exhibitions=== * ''Group Exhibition'', Art Cube, The Artists' Studio, Jerusalem, December 2003<ref name="auto3">{{cite web |title=Shai Azoulay, Exhibitions |url=https://museum.imj.org.il/artcenter/newsite/en/exhibitions/?artist=Azoulay,%20Shai&list=A |website=Israel Museum, Information Center for Israeli Art}}</ref> * ''Lights'', Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2005<ref>{{cite web |title=Shai Azoulay |url=https://www.art.org.il/?jerusalem-artists=azoulay-shai&lang=en |website=Jerusalem Artists House |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''Group Exhibition'', Art Cube, The Artists' Studio, Jerusalem, 5–19 May 2006<ref name="auto3"/> * ''The Other Sea'', Artists' House, Jerusalem, 21 April- 2 June 2007<ref name="auto3"/> * ''Salame, Graduate Show 007'', Bezalel Gallery, Tel Aviv, 31 May- 30 June 2007<ref name="auto3"/> * ''Young Israeli Art: Recipients of the Legacy Fund Prize'', Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, 2007<ref>{{cite web |title=Past exhibitions |url=https://www.tamuseum.org.il/en/exhibitions-and-events/past-exhibitions/ |website=Tel Aviv Museum of Art |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''Mermaid'', Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv, 17 July- 23 August 2008<ref name="auto3"/> * ''Group Exhibition'', Artist Studios, Jerusalem, 11 September - 28 November 2008<ref name="auto3"/> * ''Constellation: Israeli Contemporary Art'', Ermanno Tedeschi Gallery, Turin, Italy, 17 February - 24 March 2009<ref name="auto3"/> * ''Women becomes tree'', Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv, 27 May - 27 June 2009 ''Artists'': Gottlieb Azoulay, Daniella | Azoulay, Shai<ref name="auto3"/> * ''1 + 1'', Art Center - Art Academy, Jerusalem, 5 September- 1 October 2009 ''Artists'': Azoulay, Shai | Gottlieb Azoulay, Daniella<ref name="auto3"/> * ''With this Ring - Wedding Ceremonies in Contemporary Art'', Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot, Tel Aviv 25 February - 25 April 2010<ref>{{cite web |title=With the ring |url=https://www.bh.org.il/event/ring/ |website=Beit Hatfutsot}}</ref> * '''Rupture and Repair'', Artists' House, Jerusalem, 8 May - 10 July 2010<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Shai Azoulay |url=https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Shai-Azoulay/80CB943B822024D4/Exhibitions?login=1 |website=Mutual Art |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''Comfort Scapes'', Art Cube, The Artists' Studio, Jerusalem, 25 November 2010 - 15 January 2011<ref>{{cite web |title=Comfort scapes |url=https://www.artiststudiosjlm.org/comfort-spaces.html |website=Art Cube Artists' Studios |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''Superpartners'', Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, 8 September - 8 October 2011 ''Artists'': Azoulay, Shai | Israel, Reuven<ref name="auto"/> * ''New Directions'', Mani House, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2011 * ''Nimrod's Descendants'', Artists' House, Jerusalem, 27 October 2011 - 14 January 2012<ref name="auto"/> * ''Prizes in Art and Design from the Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport, 2011'', Petach Tikvah Museum of Art, Petach Tikva, 31 August - 17 November 2012 * ''Now Now'', The Jerusalem Biennale for Contemporary Jewish Art, Jerusalem, 15 September - 31 October 2013 * ''The Dead or Alive Gallery'', City Gallery Kfar Saba, Kfar Saba, 21 November - 25 December 2013 * ''Mazal U'Bracha- Myth and Superstition in Contemporary Israeli Art'', Diaspora Museum, Tel Aviv, 2014<ref>{{cite web |title=Mazal u'bracha |url=https://www.bh.org.il/event/mazal-ubracha-good-fortune-blessing/ |website=Beit Hatfutsot |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''The Museum Presents Itself 2, Israeli Art from the Museum Collection'', Dina and Raphael Recanati Family Foundation Galleries Herta and Paul Amir Building, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, 2015 * ''Akhshav'', Stein Rose Fine Art Gallery, NY, USA, 23 April - 3 May 2015<ref name="auto"/> * ''The Circle of Life'', Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf, Germany, 4 June - 9 October 2016 * ''[https://rosenbach.co.il/exhibit/76-checkers-shai-azoulay-and-jonathan-gold Checkers]'', Rosenbach Contemporary, Jerusalem, 15 September - 30 October 2016 '''Artists''': Gold, Jonathan | Azoulay, Shai<ref name="auto"/> * ''Repositioning: Old Objects, New Artworks'', L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, Israel, 2017 * ''[http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/amba Amba]'', Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv, 1 September - 21 October 2017<ref name="auto"/> * ''Scenes from Family Life: Works from the collections of Israel Discount Bank and contemporary artists'', Eretz Israel Museum, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 2018 * ''[https://www.imj.org.il/en/exhibitions/new-collection-7 New in the Collection]'', Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 3 December 2018 - 23 March 2019<ref>{{cite web |title=New in the Collection |url=https://www.imj.org.il/en/exhibitions/new-collection-7 |website=The Israel Museum, Jerusalem |date=2 December 2018 |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * ''Group Exhibition'', The Judaica Museum, Tel Aviv University, 2019 * '''Naked Soul: Chaïm Soutine and Israeli Art'', Mishkan Museum of Art, Kibbutz Ein Harod, 11 September 2019 - 21 March 2020 * ''Group Exhibition'', Ashdod Museum of Art, 2019 * ''[http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/the-artists-choice The Artist's Choice]'', Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv, 21 February - 23 March 2019<ref>{{cite web |title=The Artists' Choice |url=http://www.inga-gallery.com/exhibitions/the-artists-choice |website=Inga Gallery of Contemporary Art}}</ref>

==Awards and prizes ==

* 2006-2007 Creativity Grant, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Tel Aviv<ref name="auto2">{{cite book |title=Superpartners |date=2011 |publisher=Tel Aviv Museum of Art |isbn=978-965-539-036-0 |page=60}}</ref> * 2007 Legacy Heritage Fund Prize for a Young Artist, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv<ref name="auto2"/> * 2007 The Osnat Mozes Prize for Painting for a Young Artist, The Artists House, Jerusalem<ref name="auto2"/> * 2008-2010 The Artist Teacher Prize, Ministry of Culture and Sport<ref name="auto2"/> * 2010 Artis Grant Recipient<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=https://museum.imj.org.il/artcenter/newsite/en/?artist=Azoulay,%20Shai&list=A |website=Israel Museum, Information Center for Israeli Art |accessdate=8 November 2020 |title=Shai Azoulay }}</ref> * 2011 Creative Encouragement Award, Ministry of Culture and Sport<ref name="auto1"/> * 2018 Ministry of Culture Award<ref>{{cite news |last1=מרב |first1='יודילוביץ |title=משרד התרבות: הוכרזו הזוכים בפרס עידוד היצירה |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4148465,00.html |website=Ynet |date=15 November 2011 |accessdate=18 November 2020 |language=he}}</ref> * 2020 The Israeli Lottery 'Landau Prize' for arts and science<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ron |first1=Omri |title=Winners announced for 2020 Landau awards despite coronavirus pandemic |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/winners-announced-for-2020-landau-awards-despite-coronavirus-pandemic-647727 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com |accessdate=18 November 2020}}</ref> * 2020 The Foundation for Independent Artists<ref>{{cite web |title=רשימת זוכים |url=https://yotzrim.co.il/art_win/ |website=Yotsrim |accessdate=18 November 2020 |language=he}}</ref>

==Collections== * The Israel Museum, Jerusalem<ref>{{cite web |title=Sugar Cube |url=https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/551002 |website=The Israel Museum, Jerusalem|date=17 February 2021 }}</ref> * Tel Aviv Museum of Art<ref name="auto2"/> * Ashdod Museum of Art * Taguchi Art Collection, Japan<ref>{{cite web |title=Shai Azoulay |url=https://taguchiartcollection.jp/en/artists/shai-azoulay/ |website=Taguchi Art Collection |date=20 January 2017 |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * Salsali Private Museum, Dubai<ref>{{cite web |title=Permanent collection |url=http://www.salsalipm.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=66:azoulay-shai&Itemid=115 |website=Salsali Private Museum |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * Rivka Saker & Uzi Zucker Art Collection<ref>{{cite book |title=Superpartners |date=2011 |publisher=Tel Aviv Museum of Art |isbn=978-965-539-036-0 |page=72}}</ref> * The Dubi Shiff Art Collection<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dubishiffartcollection.com/artist/azoulay-shai/ |title=Shai Azoulay |website=Dubi Shiff Art Collection |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * Oli Alter Private Collection<ref>{{cite book |title=Superpartners |date=2011 |publisher=Tel Aviv Museum of Art |isbn=978-965-539-036-0 |pages=30, 40, 49–50, 62, 74, 84}}</ref> * Zila & Giora Yaron Art Collection<ref>{{cite book |title=Superpartners |date=2011 |publisher=Tel Aviv Museum of Art |isbn=978-965-539-036-0 |page=54}}</ref> * Hagit & Ofer Shapira Collection<ref>{{cite book |title=Superpartners |date=2011 |publisher=Tel Aviv Museum of Art |isbn=978-965-539-036-0 |page=69}}</ref> * Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA * Matthew Bronfman Private Collection * Bank Leumi Art Collection * Israel Discount Bank Art Collection<ref>{{cite web |title=Art Collection |url=https://www.discountbank.co.il/DB/private/discount-group/herzelilinblum-museum/art-collection?tab=1 |website=Israel Discount Bank |accessdate=17 November 2020}}</ref> * Bank Hapoalim Art Collection<ref>{{cite book |title=Superpartners |date=2011 |publisher=Tel Aviv Museum of Art |isbn=978-965-539-036-0 |page=66}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{official website|http://www.sazoulay.com/}} *[https://www.art.org.il/?exhibitions=shai-azoulay&lang=en/ The Jerusalem Artist's House] *[https://museum.imj.org.il/artcenter/newsite/en/?artist=Azoulay,%20Shai&list=A/ The Israel Museum]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Azoulay, Shai}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kiryat Shmona Category:Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design alumni Category:Academic staff of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Category:Artists from Jerusalem Category:20th-century Israeli painters Category:21st-century Israeli painters Category:Jewish Israeli painters Category:Israeli people of North African-Jewish descent