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Dovrat Ben Nahum |
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Being away, as a state of mind, is how
Dovrat Ben Nahum best describes her approach to her art. The luxury that
an artist has of being able to inhabit a world other than the real one has
perennially been a means of expression. Having lived in London for ten years
while studying and then latterly as a freelance illustrator, she returned
to her home country of Israel in 1992 and has maintained her base there
ever since. It was while living in London though, that she first attempted
to recreate in her work the sense of light and colour that she remembered
while growing up in Israel. And now paradoxically, while missing London
she tries to infuse her work with the sense of a European tradition and
its classical way of life.
After originally studying Graphic Design at the Bezalel Academy
in Jerusalem, Dovrat completed an MA at the Royal College of Art
in London in 1985 and then quite naturally stayed on and developed her
portfolio of clients worldwide interspersed with teaching at the Anglia
Polytechnic. She also gave lectures at St. Martin’s
School of Art and the Royal College of Art.
Dovrat had won the prestigious Folio Society Award in
1984 for her illustrations for Lord of the Flies |
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Baranski, Marcin |
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Ben Nahum, Dovrat |
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Clarke, Greg |
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Cohen, Izhar |
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Cook, Matthew |
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Dann, Penny |
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Davidson, Andrew |
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Gallardo, Miguel |
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Gatley, Heather |
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Gibb, Sarah |
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Kiuchi, Tatsuro |
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Knox, Charlotte |
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Kugler, Olivier |
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Malone, Peter |
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McMenemy, Sarah |
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Morse, Joe |
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Osborn, Kathy |
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Piven, Hanoch |
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Rogers, Paul |
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Russo, Anthony |
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Slepkov, Anatoly |
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So, Meilo |
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Tolpa, Beegee |
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Ventura, Marco |
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WinnLederer, Ilene |
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Woodin, Mary |
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Wormell, Christopher |
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The free-form sense of floating that is so characteristic
of her pictures reflects very clearly her passion for diving, gained in
the deep blue of the Red Sea. Figures glide by in an ethereal world, not
anchored by perspective and in their dream-like state evoke memory and feeling.
Her use of watercolour give translucence to her work that clearly shows
its origins. Her technique is simple and straightforward, in that she likes
to thoroughly research her subject beforehand, and when thoroughly immersed,
the solution presents itself., When required, she will produce a rough sketch
for presentation, but ideally likes to work in a far more spontaneous and
direct way, using watercolour, gouache, colour pencils and cutouts. |
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Dovrat is fascinated too by the patterns in old carpets,
tiles and textiles, and senses their connection to shapes occurring in the
natural world of sea-weed, leaves and the fantastic world that exists under
the microscope. These all supply an endless source of inspiration that constantly
replenishes her visual vocabulary. The directness of expression in children’s
drawings are strong influences in her own work, as are artists like Raoul
Dufy and Saul Steinberg. |
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A commission to produce a set of drawings of animals
and locations for a brochure for Barbados Zoo Park presented
a unique opportunity to draw on the spot in authentic surroundings. A sadly
rare experience these days for illustrators but one that undoubtedly results
in the production of work that is infinitely more direct and honest. The
ability to contribute in this very positive and direct manner with an insight
into design requirements has ensured that she has been involved in a number
of high profile jobs, working on location for clients like Singapore
Airlines. |
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She finds great satisfaction in assignments that draw
on her design skills as much as her innate illustrative ability. A carry
over from her origins in Graphic Design. Particularly enjoyable recently
was an assignment to produce a range of labels for Wissotzky Tea,
a range of twelve special blends of tea sold in top restaurants. The brief
involved creating marks that could be used across the range. Drawn in black
and white and then reproduced in colour, the finished article goes a lonf
way in demonstrating how a talemted illustrator can create an image that
is very unique and individual. |
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And now, as well as a full and busy career in the editorial,
design and packaging fields, Dovrat is actively developing ideas for children’s
books, where the freshness and honesty of her spontaneous work is well suited.
Watch this space. |
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Publishing Clients
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Vogue
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The
Observer |
| Harpers
and Queen |
House
and Garden |
| The
Guardian |
Esquire |
| The
New Yorker |
Boston
Globe |
Advertising clients |
| Singapore
Airlines |
Kintetsu
Dept Store |
| Beefeater
Gin |
Swedish
Telecom |
| World
Wildlife Fund |
Travel
Team |
| Sonntags
Blick |
Pure
New Wool |
Corporate
Clients |
| BMB
Holland |
Bank
Leumi |
| Sumitomo
Marine |
Natwest
Bank |
| IY
Sakaeya |
Prudential |
| Kintetsu |
Barbados
Zoo Park |
Design
Clients |
| Wisotzky
Tea |
Victoria
Wine |
| Asda |
Decca
International |
| Comme
de Garcon |
Donnon |
| Body
Shop |
Royal
Mail |
| Conran |
Parco |
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