Aaron April’s oil and acrylic paintings underwent a profound transformation following his emigration to Israel in 1972. While his earlier Soviet works included powerful realist pieces like “Execution” (1961), which bravely confronted the realities of the Soviet Gulag and established him as a courageous painter, his later “Israeli” period exploded with multicolored, energetic, and passionate canvases.
A central tenet of his artistic vision in Israel was his intense engagement with light, particularly the unique and often “cruel” light of Jerusalem. April famously declared his goal was to “win this contest with the light,” tirelessly striving to capture or embody this elusive illumination within his canvases. His palette from this era is described as vigorous and comprehensive, capable of conveying a “violence of color” where hues seemingly “fight each other or embrace each other,” utterly captivating the viewer.
April’s oil paintings are often multi-meaningful, multifaceted, and fantastical, actively inviting the viewer to discover layers of interpretation. His style frequently blends figurative and abstract elements, with images often emerging from seemingly chaotic or pulsating colorful strokes. A key concept in his later work is the use of “memory stains”—brush strokes that function as self-contained vessels of light and space, mirroring the fragmented nature of memory. He reinterpreted Symbolism, emphasizing that meaning arises from the interplay of these material “signifiers” rather than from pre-existing metaphysical ideas. His canvases also aimed to combine the static aspects of painting with dynamic movement, offering the viewer a unique sense of “being” within a flowing, concentrated moment in time. Biblical themes are notably prominent, viewed not merely as historical stories but as part of the “very fabric of today’s life” and deeply connected to ancestral memory in Jerusalem, which he considered his spiritual motherland.
For Aaron April, biblical and religious subjects were not mere historical echoes, but the very pulse of contemporary existence. This theme stands as a central and recurring pillar throughout his entire body of work, reflecting his profound belief that “the living word of the Almighty, that of the kings and prophets has been woven” into the “very fabric of today’s life.” April possessed an extraordinary ability to discern biblical resonance even within the bustling reality of modern Israel and the world around him, stemming from an intuitive absorption of sacred texts.
His engagement with these themes was deeply spiritual, particularly intertwined with his life in Israel and his profound connection to Jerusalem. He regarded Jerusalem as his “motherland” and his “spiritual and geographic refuge,” a place intrinsically linked to the ancestral memory of the Hebrew people. This spiritual depth resonated powerfully with viewers, as noted by Dmitry Zhilinsky, who observed that April’s works concerning the history and life of the Jewish people captivated audiences, inviting them to “look at, feel, know, and understand.” Those with a religious background, in particular, often sought out and recognized “this image” within his art.
April approached these subjects with a “new style,” breathing fresh life into ancient narratives. Watercolors depicting scenes from the Scriptures were often a centerpiece of his exhibitions, notably his 2002 Moscow show, which aimed to convey the profound revelation he experienced in the land of Israel.
Within this powerful theme, April’s art often brings the battle between good and evil to the forefront, frequently driven by a dynamic “whirl of colors.” This struggle can be visualized with intricate forms, at times incorporating birds or insects. The concept draws parallels to Mikhail Vrubel’s “Demon,” where April’s serene light, emanating from the ancient rocks of Jerusalem, confronts a “frenzied kingdom” of dusky hues. Through the medium of painting, the profound emotional appeal of these narratives is transformed into enduring memory.
