Ariela Wertheimer: Spreading Israeli Art to the World
by Ronn Torossian
The last name Wertheimer — for those familiar with Israel — immediately leads to thinking of the family patriarch, industrialist Stef Wertheimer. He founded the Kfar Vradim rural industrial village in the Galilee, as well as Iscar Metalworking — the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced carbide industrial-cutting tools.
Stef’s son, Eitan Wertheimer, is considered the richest man in Israel, and the family overall has been described as Israel’s “royal family,” with a fortune estimated at over $8 billion dollars.
But Eitan’s wife, Ariela Wertheimer, is achieving success in her own right in the art world. She has been known to create artworks that invoke self-reflection, and encourage contemplation. Ariela uses various mediums — such as metal, wood panels, lighting and photographs — to depict complex stories and narratives. And she’s succeeding in the art world. With her unique and inspirational artwork, Ariela is leading her family to further international recognition.
In addition to exhibiting her “Jaffa Venice Light Boxes” at the Venice Art Biennale last May-November, she also exhibited for the first time in the US at Scope Miami Beach in December. At the contemporary art show, Ariela presented her exhibit “Ropes and Ties: The Freedom to Let Go,” which features ropes that have a deep meaning and are tied to both physical elements and conscious and emotional feelings.
And now she’s coming to New York — in partnership with the Farkash Gallery — with yet another exhibit at Artexpo New York from April 19-22, 2018. I — among many others — look forward to seeing these beautiful light boxes, which are comprised of a variety of colors and are accented by a large chandelier in the center of the space.
As Frank Sinatra sang in his iconic song “New York, New York”: “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” And one can sense that Ariela Wertheimer’s success is only just commencing.
Editor’s note: The subject of this article is a paying client of the author, Mr. Torossian.