Chana Orloff facts for kids
Chana Orloff (Hebrew: חנה אורלוף; born July 12, 1888 – died December 16, 1968) was a talented sculptor. She was born in Ukraine and later became known for her Art Deco and figurative art in both France and Israel.
About Chana Orloff's Life
Chana Orloff was the eighth of nine children. She was born in a small village in what is now Ukraine. Her village was a farming community near the Sea of Azov, which is part of the Black Sea. The biggest city nearby was Mariupol.
When she was a teenager, Chana learned how to sew and make dresses. This skill helped her earn a living and avoid an arranged marriage.
In 1905, Chana and her family moved to Palestine to escape difficult times in Ukraine. They settled in Petah Tikva, which was one of the first Jewish farming communities there. Chana worked as a seamstress, making European-style clothes for people in the area.
Later, she moved to Jaffa to be closer to her customers. Her brother, Zvi Nishri, was a pioneer in physical education in Israel. Chana took classes at Gymnasia Herzliya, where her brother taught. She also joined workers' and sports groups.
After five years, she was offered a job teaching sewing in Jaffa. Chana decided to go to Paris first to study fashion. She worked at a famous fashion house called Paquin. In 1911, she started studying fine art at a special school called the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. She also took informal art classes in Montparnasse.
In 1916, Chana married Ary Justman, a writer and poet. They had a son in 1918. Sadly, Ary died in 1919 from a serious illness that affected many people around the world.
When war broke out and Paris was in danger, Chana fled to Switzerland with her son and a Jewish painter named Georges Kars.
Her Art Career
In Paris, Chana Orloff became friends with many other young Jewish artists. Some of these famous artists included Marc Chagall, Amedeo Modigliani, and Pablo Picasso.
In 1913, she showed her art in a big exhibition called the Salon d'Automne. After the country of Israel was formed, Chana started spending more and more time there.
In 1949, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art held a special show of 37 of her sculptures. She stayed in Israel for about a year to finish some important sculptures. These included a sculpture of David Ben-Gurion, who was Israel's first Prime Minister. She also created The Hero Monument for the defenders of Ein Gev and The Motherhood Monument to remember Chana Tuchman Alderstein, who died during a time of conflict.
After returning to Paris in 1950, Chana Orloff received support from artist Norman Carton. She also became a mentor to him, sharing her knowledge and experience.
Besides monuments, Chana Orloff sculpted portraits of many important people. She made sculptures of Israeli Prime Ministers David Ben-Gurion and Levi Eshkol. She also sculpted famous architects, painters like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, and poets.
Chana Orloff passed away in Israel on December 16, 1968.
See also
In Spanish: Chana Orloff para niños
- Visual arts in Israel
- Women of Israel
