Moshe Ziffer
Encyclopedia
Moshe Ziffer was an Israeli artist
and sculptor
.
, Austro-Hungary. He emigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1919. In 1924-33, he studied sculpture in Vienna
, Berlin
and Paris
. Stone sculptures by Ziffer are on display at the campuses of Tel Aviv University
and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. Ziffer bequeathed his sculpture garden in Safed
to the Safed Municipality. He left his home in Tel Aviv
and many of his sculptures to Tel Aviv University
.
Ziffer died in 1989 in Tel Aviv.
Einstein also described his work as "simple and noble as the man who created it."
In 1947-48, Ziffer was awarded the Dizengoff Prize
in Sculpture, for his design of a wall at Haganah House, Tel Aviv.
.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
.
Biography
Ziffer was born in 1902 in PrzemyślPrzemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
, Austro-Hungary. He emigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1919. In 1924-33, he studied sculpture in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Stone sculptures by Ziffer are on display at the campuses of Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. Ziffer bequeathed his sculpture garden in Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
to the Safed Municipality. He left his home in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and many of his sculptures to Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
.
Ziffer died in 1989 in Tel Aviv.
Prizes and acclaim
Albert Einstein said of Ziffer:- "Du bist ein Ziffer und ich bin Ein stein aber du arbeitest mit stein und ich arbeite mit ziffern" ("You are a figure (ziffer - figure, digit, number) and I am a stone (ein stein) but you work with stone and I work with figures").
Einstein also described his work as "simple and noble as the man who created it."
In 1947-48, Ziffer was awarded the Dizengoff Prize
Dizengoff Prize
The Dizengoff Prize for Painting and Sculpture is awarded annually by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality since 1937.The following is a table of Dizengoff Prize laureates in their respective art form:...
in Sculpture, for his design of a wall at Haganah House, Tel Aviv.
Environmental Sculptures
- 1938, "Unknown Pioneer", at New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
International Fair, - Memorial in honour of the breakthrough at the Burma RoadBurma RoadThe Burma Road is a road linking Burma with the southwest of China. Its terminals are Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. When it was built, Burma was a British colony.The road is long and runs through rough mountain country...
, HuldaHuldaHulda may refer to:*Hulda, an Icelandic poet*Hulda an opera by César Franck*Hulda, Israel, a kibbutz in Israel*Huldah, a Biblical prophetess*Hulda-Hrokkinskinna, an Icelandic manuscript*Mother Hulda, a German folk tale... - Memorial in honour of the fighters of the Givati BrigadeGivati BrigadeThe Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
and members of KibbutzKibbutzA kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
NitzanimNitzanimNitzanim is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located between Ashkelon and Ashdod on the Nitzanim dunes, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 343....
killed in the Israeli War of Independence, 1948 - Sculpture Garden, Safed
- 1958, "Lot's Wife", BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
International Exhibition
Portrait busts
Ziffer sculpted busts of Albert Einstein, David Ben Gurion and Chaim WeizmannChaim Weizmann
Chaim Azriel Weizmann, , was a Zionist leader, President of the Zionist Organization, and the first President of the State of Israel. He was elected on 1 February 1949, and served until his death in 1952....
.