In his oil on canvas paintings, Israeli artist Rubi Assa expresses and documents sensations, feelings and memories through selected images brought to life by his distinct use of line and color. Known for his bold colors and unique figural renderings, which feature markedly enhanced eyes and facial expressions, Assa explores the inherent duplicity of both images and the visual world, where surface appearance doesn’t always correlate to what lies within.
Assa’s paintings are simultaneously influenced by the green fields and bucolic surroundings of his childhood and the tension and anxiety created by decades of wars in Israel. What results are images seemingly naïve but which in fact reveal to the viewer a fierce emotionality. On the surface, the paintings are bright and colorful, but there is an intriguing undercurrent of darkness and depth that provides a point of connection for us all. As he explains, “Each artwork tells a different life story to its viewer.” Indeed, Assa offers us paintings that reverberate with viewers from all walks of life.