Naftali Bezem was Born 1924 in Essen, Germany, then emigrated to Israel at the age of fourteen before the outbreak of World War II. A member of the vibrant generation that built the state of Israel, his early adolescence was spent under Nazi oppression, in refugee camps and in constant fear for the safety of his parents, who died in Auschwitz. This personal history largely shaped his artistic style and work.
Bezem views art as an expression of the soul of a people, it’s heritage, and it’s truth.
He has won several prestigious prizes, has been shown internationally in group and solo exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale and the São Paulo Biennale.
He taught at Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem.