Nirit Levav’s Doozy Art
Nirit Levav, the Israeli artist, a maverick beyond words has everything that makes her art-work different and interesting. The moment you visit her website you see sculptures of dogs which have been sculpted in such a way that you feel real dogs have been turned into sculptures, but no, they are welded- statues.
Born and brought up in an artistic family, Nirit Levav inherited the love for reused materials from her mother who is an arts and crafts teacher and learnt welding from her father who was a set designer. The list of her creativity is endless. It’s not only dogs but other animals too, that were fortunate enough to get sculpted by this pretty lady. Starting in 1988, Nirit Levav began her career as a fashion designer, who went pretty famous because of her out-of-the-box designs, leading to a chain of bridal salons throughout the country. Her designs of wedding & evening gowns were a breath of fresh air in times when market was flooded with fluffs and sparkles.
After almost a decade years, she decided to make a switch and explore other art forms but as it’s said that to get something you have to lose something, so she closed her shops and dedicated herself to art. She got involved in learning about a lot of materials and eventually developed a fondness for bike chains and decided to work with it. In a conversation with A.Kameshwari from One World News, Nirit Levav expressed more about herself:
Starting with Fashion Designer, how your career took a turn towards sculpturing, jewelry making etc?
I started my career as a fashion designer and during the years I specialized in wedding dresses, and found myself working with only one material – fabrics and only one color – white. The business became successful and I found myself running the branches and many employees instead of creating something newer than that. It frustrated me and since I wanted to create with no limits I started to look for other materials. The first one was jewelry; I studied gold and silver crafting and then went on to ceramic, metal and other materials.
What inspired you to make dog metal sculptures? What is the process?
As I told you before, I started to work with a wide range of materials and I enjoyed it a lot but after some years I realized that people do not understand and label me so I decided to focus on one material – bicycle chains and one subject – dogs.
What was fascinating about bike-parts that you choose to make sculptures with it?
Bicycle chains are fascinating – as I see it they are soft and flexible, I can use it from both sides, they look like a bone that reminds me of dogs and most important – they are made of metal, a material that I love because it reminds me of my late father who worked a lot with metal, since he was a set builder.
Dogs are obviously not static, so how you manage to make dogs in different position or expression?
I take photos of dogs from different angles and also use my imagination.
What is going to be your next exploration?
After dogs I created “Art and Fashion” (Visit http://www.niritlevav.com/art-fashion.html for further reference) and now I am working on a sculpture of a pregnant woman from motorcycle parts – maybe this is a start to my next project.
Who do you look up to as an artist?
I love the works of Louise Bourgeois, Jeff Koons, Anish Kapoor and Damienen Hirst.
So, are you still into all of these or just sculpture?
Today, I focus on sculpturing and a bit of ceramic, but I hope to reach a time in which I work on all the range of my creations in the past, maybe even furniture…
Your jewelry designs are quite unique, how you get the idea of design and inspiration?
I cannot explain in words how and from what I get my ideas and inspiration. This is something that comes from inside and I just let it go…
For dogs you have used chains, pedals etc, what all have you used in making of squirrel, turtle etc.?
The squirrel is made of acorn, the turtle is bicycle gears, I used various materials in the past, such as rails, keys, old nails, light bulbs, mattresses, matches, clothespins, sunflower seeds, gravel etc.
How similar or different is fashion designing and sculpturing?
The main difference is that people wear the fashion so, it has to be useful and practical, and when I am sculpturing I can create without any limits. Because most of the people do not want to get too much attention, so, I had to hold my creativity. In sculpturing, I can be creative with no limits of expectations vis-a-vis people, shape, subject, dimensions etc’.
If not an artist, what would Nirit be?
A Psychologist.
How has been your experience so far?
It was a slow and progressive process, it took me 12 years to leave fashion totally and focus on art only.It is important for me to say that the change came from the inside; I wasn’t quite sure and felt unsatisfied, like there was a fire ball in my stomach, so, I had to understand, what it was and started to explore it. Eventually, I gave freedom to my creativity.
Until now, thanks to god, the experience is good, I receive very good responses and it gives me the joy to move on.
Any message for our readers?
My message is to listen to everything that happens inside them and to be aware of the marks that they receive, also from the outside…
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