Aharon April's Life Story
Aharon April (1932–2020) was a distinguished Israeli painter and sculptor whose artistic journey spanned decades, cultures, and historical upheavals.
Born in Vilkaviškis, then part of the Soviet Union (now Lithuania), his childhood was marked by the turmoil of World War II. In the 1940s, April and his family were exiled to Siberia, an experience that profoundly shaped his artistic vision.
Despite these hardships, he pursued his passion for painting, eventually arriving in Moscow without official permission, where he studied art between 1949 and 1951 at the Moscow Art School in Memory of 1905; then was forced to return to Siberia when Soviet authorities launched an anti-Semitic campaign known as “The Doctors’ Plot.”
April graduated from an art school in the city of Yakutsk, and pursued his interest in history by attending lectures at a local pedagogical institute. An opportunity to study in Moscow arose after the death of Stalin, and He continued his education at the Surikov Academy of Fine Arts from 1954 to 1960.
April gained recognition in the Soviet art world, holding solo exhibitions in Moscow and participating in numerous group exhibitions. However, in 1972, he made the life-changing decision to immigrate to Israel, settling in Jerusalem. There, he quickly became a key figure in the local art scene, serving as chairman of the Jerusalem Painters and Sculptors Association (1975–1976) and later as chairman of the Sha-Nur Artists’ Village (1991–1999). In addition to his artistic career, he was a dedicated educator, teaching at institutions such as the Hebrew University, Bezalel Academy, and the University of Haifa from 1973 to 1983.
Though he was also a sculptor, painting remained the heart of April’s work. His style combined figurative and expressive elements, with many of his pieces featuring biblical and symbolic themes. He worked primarily with oil and watercolor, creating compositions rich in color, texture, and emotion. His art was exhibited worldwide, with solo shows in France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and Russia, including major retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow (2002, 2014) and the Tretyakov Gallery (2008).
April’s contributions to the art world earned him numerous accolades, including the Ish-Shalom Prize for his impact on Israeli art (2001) and an honorary membership in the Russian Academy of Arts (2005). His legacy endures through his paintings, housed in prestigious museums and private collections, as well as his writings, including his 2016 memoir “With an Outstretched Arm and Honest Colors”. Aharon April’s art continues to captivate audiences, offering a profound exploration of history, spirituality, and human experience.
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Early Life & Education (1932-1960)
1932: Born in Vilkaviskis, Lithuania. He spent his early years at the Shaudinishkai estate, just three kilometers from Verzhbolovo (Kibarty), the birthplace of the famous artist Isaak Levitan.
1941, June: His family was deported to Siberia. They spent the first year in the Altai area, then moved beyond the Arctic Circle, living in the villages of Kresty and Kazachie on the Yana River.
1947: Completed secondary school in Yakutsk, the capital of Yakutia.
1949-1951: Studied at the Art School “In Memory of 1905” in Moscow.
1951: Was deported to Yakutia for the second time, shortly before the notorious “Doctors’ Plot.”
1951-1954: Worked and continued his art studies in Yakutsk. He completed the Yakutsk Art School and undertook a correspondence course in the History Department of the Pedagogical Institute.
1954-1960: Studied at the prestigious Surikov Art Institute in Moscow.
Artistic Career in the Soviet Union (1958-1972)
1958-1972: Actively participated in art exhibitions across Moscow, various republics of the USSR, all-Union shows, and international exhibitions.
1961: Joined the Moscow Union of Artists.
1967: Undertook a significant voyage to India and the Middle East aboard the Mtsensk, an experience that greatly influenced his later work.
Life and Art in Israel (1972-2020)
- 1972: Made Aliyah, moving to Jerusalem, Israel.
1973-1974: Became a member of the governing body of the Association of Artists and Sculptors, Jerusalem.
1973-1983: Dedicated his time to teaching painting, drawing, and composition at Haifa University, Jerusalem’s Artists’ House, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem.
1975-1976: Served as President of the Association of Artists and Sculptors, Jerusalem.
1976, 1981: Commissioned and executed two significant wall paintings in Jerusalem.
1980: Traveled extensively in Italy, France, and Spain, deeply exploring the art and culture of these countries.
1982: Served as an ambassador for the Jewish Agency in Rome.
1986-1998: Worked at various times and for different durations (from two to twelve months) at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.
1987: Joined a group of Jewish artists from the Soviet Union to establish the artists’ village in Sanur.
1991-1999: Led the governing body of the Sanur artists’ village, where twenty-eight studios and an exhibition hall-gallery were constructed under his guidance.
2001: Honored with the Ish-Shalom Foundation Prize, Jerusalem, for his ‘outstanding contribution to the development of art’.
2002: Received a medal from the Russian Academy of Arts following his highly acclaimed ‘Thirty Years After’ exhibition at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.
2005: Elected Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, a testament to his enduring legacy.
2020, February 14: Passed away in Jerusalem, Israel.
exhibitions
Aharon April’s works are held in 43 museums worldwide.
One man exhibitions
- 1963 The editorial office of the ‘Yunost’ magazine. Moscow
- 1970 ‘Over Seven Seas’. The House of Peoples’ Friendship. Moscow
- 1972 Jerusalem Theatre. Israel
- 1973 Haifa Auditorium. Haifa, Israel
- 1973 Mann Auditorium. Tel Aviv, Israel
- 1975 Artists House. Jerusalem, Israel
- 1975 Public Library. Montreal, Canada
- 1975 Hebrew Union College. Boston, USA
- 1976 Museum of modern art. Eilat, Israel
- 1977 Haifa Auditorium. Haifa, Israel
- 1979 Artists’ House. Jerusalem, Israel
- 1979 Sarah Kishon Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
- 1981 Gallery Slavia. Bremen, Germany
- 1983 Artists’ House. Jerusalem, Israel
- 1983 Rosenfeld Gallery for contemporary art. Tel Aviv, Israel
- 1983 Münster Lands Museum. Münster,Germany
- 1984 Sarah Kishon Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
- 1984 Basel Kunstmesse. Basel, Switzerland
- 1985 Binet Gallery. Jaffa, Israel
- 1986 Galerie Vita. Bern, Switzerland
- 1987 Galerie Etienne de Causans. Paris, France
- 1988 Galerie Etienne de Causar Paris, France
- 1988 Haifa Auditorium. Haifa, Israel
- 1990 Sarah Kishon Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
- 1990 Galerie Etienne de Causanse. Paris, France
- 1995 Salon Chagall. Maison France-Israel. Paris, France
- 1998 Galerie Etienne de Causans. Paris, France
- 2000 Sarah Kishon Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
- 2002 Moscow Museum of Modern Art
- 2008 Retrospective, State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
- 2014 “Unconscious Reality”, Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, Russia
Group exhibitions
- 1953 Exhibition of artists from Yakutia. The Yakut Museum of Fine Arts
- 1957 Third Exhibition of Young Artists. Exhibition Hall on Kuznetsky Most, Moscow
- 1958 Fourth Exhibition of Young Artists. Exhibition Hall on Kuznetsky Most, Moscow
- 1958 All-Union Exhibition of Young Artists. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow
- 1959 Fifth Exhibition of Young Artists. Exhibition Hall on Kuznetsky Most, Moscow
- 1959 Diplom und Studien Werke. Schloss Pillnitz, Dresden, Germany
- 1960 Exhibition of Moscow Artists. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow
- 1961 Sixth Exhibition of Young Artists. Exhibition Hall on Kuznetsky Most, Moscow
- 1961 ‘Moskva – Stolitsa [Moscow Is the Capital]’. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow
- 1962 All-Union Exhibition of Young Artists. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
- 1962 Exhibition of Young Artists at the World Youth Festival. Helsinki, Finland
- 1962 ‘Thirty Years of MOSKh [Moscow Union of Artists]’. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow
- 1965 ‘Na strazhe mira [Safeguarding Peace]’. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow
- 1966 Art Exhibition at the World Youth Festival. Budapest, Hungary
- 1967 ‘Sport v iskusstve [Sport and Art]. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow
- 1968 Travelling exhibition of Soviet artists through the USSR
- 1971 ‘Khudozhniki sportu [Works of art on the subject of sport]. Luzhniki Sports Centre, Moscow
- 1973 ‘Artists of Israel’. Artists House, Jerusalem, Israel
- 1973 ‘Artists of Israel’. Bronfman Center for the Arts, Montreal, Canada
- 1978 Festival of Israeli Arts, Toronto, Canada
- 1986 Basel Kunstmesse. Basel, Switzerland
- 1986 ‘Cut Three’. Artists House, Jerusalem, Israel
- 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994-1997 Exhibitions of the artists of the Sanur. Sanur, Israel
- 1989 Jerusalem art festival: A Month of Israeli Painting and Sculpture
- 1990 Jerusalem art festival: A Month of Israeli Arts
Bibliography
Selected Albums and Books
- “Song of Songs” – Aharon April, exhibition catalog with an introduction by Felix Roziner (Jerusalem – Tel Aviv, 1982)
- “Aharon April”, exhibition catalog in “Galerie Rambert” with an Introduction by Jean Bollack (Paris: Galerie Rambert, 1995).
- “Aharon April”, exhibition catalog in the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, with an Introduction by Matti Fisher (Moscow : MOMMA, 2002).
- “Aharon April”, catalog to “Retrospective” exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery with an Introduction by Marina Genkin (Moscow, Scanrus 2007).
- “To Love Is Always Classical…” By Aharon April and Galina Podolsky, Jerusalem 2012, ISBN 978-965-7129-71-5
- “Diptych Of Destinies” By Galina Podolsky and Aharon April, Jerusalem 2013, ISBN 978-965-7621-00-4.
- “To a mighty hand and honest colors (artists memories)” By Aharon April, Jerusalem 2016, ISBN 978-965-7705-08-7
Awards
- 2001 – Ish-Shalom Prize, awarded by the Jerusalem Municipality for a significant contribution to the arts.
- 2005 – Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow, Russia.
