Itamar Yehiel (b.1984, Jerusalem, Israel) is a contemporary embroidery sculptor based in Berlin, Germany. Renowned for his distinctive three-dimensional embroideries, Yehiel uses thread to explore philosophical and emotional interpretations of organic forms. His work combines silk, cotton, nylon, polyester, and gold, intricately woven into sculptural forms.
Yehiel's artistic exploration is deeply rooted in the tension between realism and illusion, the temporary and the eternal, the contemporary and the traditional, and crisis and hope. He invites the viewers to reflect on the complexities of existence.
One of Yehiel's notable works, Hope, draws inspiration from the olive branch, a universal symbol of peace, and the Japanese art of Kintsugi (golden repair), which embraces imperfection, seeing breakage and restoration as integral parts of an object's story.
His work has been exhibited at Eine Reise in den Garten at Museum Villa Rot for Contemporary Art, Four Elements at Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin, Floating Pebbles at MAX54 Gallery in Augsburg, Aus Fäden geschmiedet at ARTHUS Gallery in Zell am Harmersbach, Germany (with Bruno Feger), and internationally at Threads of Tomorrow at Museu Textil (New Orleans), We Got The Power at The Contemporary Art Modern Project Gallery (Miami), Fibremen (Ukraine), The Sun, BIEN – Biennial of Textile Art (Slovenia), and in the Hamptons (New York).
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I am a sculptural embroidery artist. In my travels around the world, I have learned from different cultures about ways of life, worldviews, and the role of crafts. I have come to understand that embroidery and nature are timeless threads that connect us all. I embroider elements from nature; it is my primary vocabulary.
I paint with stitches using a sewing machine, and explore boundaries in my medium. From a two-dimensional form, I create a three-dimensional object, focusing on textures, shades, and details.
I engage with philosophical and emotional questions, expressing the paradoxes of life, the passage of time, and the beauty of imperfection. I examine the tension between reality and illusion, and crisis and hope.