Elior Yosef Hazan is a 33 years old graffiti artist from Tel Aviv, Israel who paints in Pop Art style. He grew up in a slum neighborhood in south Tel Aviv that later became one ofthe most prestigious neighborhoods in the country. Elior started out as an artist at the age of 18 when he drew cartoons for passers-by on the Tel Aviv Promenade are in return for a small sum to help support his family. Later he began to decorate the walls of the neighborhood where he lived in his pop art style. Today tens of thousands of people are taking a picture against the backdrop of these murals. We had a chance to interview Elior ahead of his first visit to Dubai.
Could you tell us what you love the most about being an artist?
The thing I love most about being an artist is being able to excite people with my art. Through my art I manage to express myself and tell a whole life stories of people. Art is something individual and my art strengthens me and gives me the opportunity to express my unique identity and my ideas.
What materials do you like painting on the most?
I love incorporating my art into all sorts of materials ranging from canvas to enormous walls. However the material i enjoy working with the most is wood because of its ability to absorb the colors and reflect my art in the best way. Plus, I like to combine non-conventional things like painting on metals, using neon or screws and anything that comes to mind and can be combined in a painting. You can see an example of this mixed media technique when I painted on surfboards and combined the greatest works of art with fragments of different materials.
Can you call your art experimental?
There’s a lot of artists all over the world and there are no styles that haven’t been done whether it’s realism or pop art. I believe in expressing my unique vision and that art has no boundaries and anything can be incorporated into it. And of course over the time I developed my own unique techniques. Because of the techniques I developed and my attention to detail, my art appeals to all types of audiences in Israel and internationally.
Can you call yourself successful? How do you reflect on your artistic journey so far?
I measure my success by my level of satisfaction from what I am doing. Today because my art touches a lot of people my work is diverse and I wake up every morning with the goal of developing more techniques and creating new art projects so from my point of view I do succeed. I think my artistic journey has taught me a lot about people and about many styles of art.
What role has social media played in growing your brand as an artist?
The social media channels play a major role in exposing my art to people from all over the world and for different audiences My Instagram channel has brought a number of opportunities and brand collaborations. It would have taken me a little longer to get the same exposure without the exposure on Instagram.
How did you feel when the Gal Gadot who played Wonder Woman reach out to you?
When I created the post about my painting, I never imagined she would have reached out to me, so naturally I was very excited and surprised it happened. I met the amazing actress Gold Gadot who helped me to uncover my artwork and only verified the fact that she is nothing less than a Wonder Woman.
Did that bring a major breakthrough in your career?
Gal Gadot’s Instagram post exposed me to over 30 million of her fans who saw and appreciated my creation. People’s sympathy and warm reactions only sharpened my motivation and aspirations and showed me that I am definitely on the right path.
What are some of the most exciting collaborations you have done?
Every collaboration is important to me and brings its own challenges and outcomes. The most exciting collaboration I’ve taken part in is when I donated a painting for an auction of Make a Wish non-profit organisation.
This organization make the dreams of sick children come true. As a part of the auction, dozens of celebrities participated and the painting I donated helped raise the most money, and I was happy to know my art served a great a cause.
Collaborating in a different nature is my participation in the Israel Fashion Week, where I was ranked in the starting five. To be a part of an event of this magnitude, to give expression, combining art and couture fashion to turn a garment into a work of art thrilled me greatly.
Another collaboration is the artistic accompaniment of the Anita Global Ice Cream Chain The opportunity they gave me was among the first at the beginning of my career and it’s nice to see that I grew up with them.
Are you excited about the Peace Treaty between United Arab Emirates and Israel?
I am very excited about the connection between Israel and the UAE, I think the peace should have come sooner or later. We have so much to give each other from culture to economics.
What message will you want to share with your art to celebrate the treaty?
I want to combine the tradition and culture of these two powerful nations. I have a lot of ideas and pieces that I’ve already started working on and will be revealed soon. I am also looking at potential collaborations with Emirati artists and art galleries in United Arab Emirates.
See more of Elior’s work on @IamElior
Interview by Slava Noor
