Painting is life

Hedi Kandel 1912-2003

The artist Hedi Kandel was born in Germany. In 1933 she left home and immigrated to Israel. During the last 50 years she lived and painted in Kiryat Tivon. After years of devotion to her family, in 1951 Hedi Kandel returned to painting. She joined the class of Marcel Yanko, and later studied with Zvi Meriovich. She found her own way to internalize the teaching of those 2 important artists and formed a personal language forcefully expressed through energetic lines and harmonious colors in a variety of themes and techniques. The human figure, and especially the feminine figure play a central role in her paintings. Her works convey strength as well as tenderness; yet anything in her surroundings served as a theme for painting: objects, landscapes, animals, interiors and biblical scenes. Her work has been exhibited throughout the world and has won prizes and recognition. Hedi Kandel was never a part of the main stream of the country. She remained true to her personal style. Being located off center, caring for her family, and painting intensively, did not enable her to gain the recognition she deserved as such an important and fine artist.