Gilmont Darius, On the Cover
Moses and the Fire of Sinai
The artist behind Moses in the Bulrushes
The artist who created our cover is Darius Gilmont from Raanana. Darius' work is characterized by vibrant color and a naïve style which he feels is well attuned to Biblical narratives. "This simplistic style of art," he says, "creates an atmosphere of the symbolic rather than the literal, and the Biblical texts are all about symbolism."
"Moses in the Bulrushes", our cover art for this Pesach issue, was originally commissioned as one of 54 illustrations for the book of Shemot, which was part of a five-volume German-languageTorah for children called "Erzähl Es Deinen Kindern (Tell it to your Children)". The text was accompanied by an in-depth commentary and Darius' illustrations.
Darius, who came to Israel from London, UK, in 1993 after studying illustration and architecture at Manchester University, attributes his Biblical artwork to powerful personal experiences.He describes the deepening of his artistic journey following a soulful sojourn in the Sinai desert. "I began painting majestic landscapes of the mountainous terrain, populated by tiny figures who were on their own spiritual odysseys," he explains on his website. "Later, these landscapes transformed into more illustrative, narrative works on Old Testament themes."
Late for Shul
Darius writes a very readable blog about the process behind his paintings, providing insight also into his life beyond his art. A recent piece describes his struggle in portraying the events of October 7th in a painting. His most recent painting, a detailed imaginary view of the Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem (Second Temple), is dedicated to the memory of Yuval Shoham, the nephew of one of his oldest friends. (Yuval was killed at age 22, while serving in the IDF in Jabalia in Gaza this last December).
Darius, who works at a local publishing company doing animation, lives in Raanana with his wife Elizabeth and son Ariel, who is due to start his IDF service soon.
On Darius' website you can buy prints of his work as well as originals. The canvas prints, especially of the Parshot Hashavua series, can make very special and personal gifts.
See more at www.darius-art.com.
Detailed imaginary view of the Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem (Second Temple) — dedicated to Yuval Shoham, killed in Gaza at age 22
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