Nehamia Azaz

Photographed by Stanley Batkin

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Nehemiah Azaz, an Israeli sculptor and ceramic designer, born Berlin in 1923. Azaz grew up in Zichron Yaakov. During World War II he joined the Jewish Brigade. At the end of the war he studied Italian marble sculpture as an artist apprentice in Bologna, Italy. Later he studied stained glass sculpture with a Dutch artist. During the War of Independence he served in the 8th Brigade, and after the war he served in various intelligence positions until 1953, when went to study the chemistry of ceramics in the Netherlands. In 1955 he returned to Israel and was invited to establish and head a Department of Artistic Ceramics at the "Harsa" factory, Beer-Sheva. The works created at "Harsa" were made from a ceramic material called ויטריאוז (Engish translation not found), and are characterized as amorphous and asymmetric forms. The decoration of these vessels was inspired by the colors of the desert and other local motifs. In 1960 he retired from heading the department and concentrated on sculpture, stained glass and created decorative walls in various places in Israel and abroad.

Education

1945 University of Bologna, Italy; 1948 advanced studies, Grande Chaumiere, Paris, also with Zadkin, Holland
1947 Stained glass and sculpture with Saothamr, Netherlands
1948 Aсademie de la Grand Chaumiere, Paris
1949 Ossip Zadkine, Paris
1953 Industrial Ceramics Engineering, Institute of Technology, The Hague