Reuven Berman Kadim

Biography Exhibitions Selected Images Artist’s Web Site

Reuven Berman Kadim was born on 14 December 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Studied art in Philadelphia and later in Los Angeles, where he graduated from high school as an art major. 1949 Studied anthropology and architectural design, Los Angeles City College, appeared in professional theatre, became active in Zionist youth movement, apprenticeship in landscape gardening. 1950 Settled in Israel. Gardener in Kibbutz Urim until 1953.

Residence in Jerusalem until Spring 1957. Intensive reading and writing (mostly poetry), attended lectures at Hebrew University (archaeology and history). Resumed painting and drawing after break of four years. 1954-1956 Studied at Bezalel Academy, (no art department at the time). Spent seven months in Mexico in 1957. Accepted by Diego Rivera as apprentice in painting and repair of frescoes. Plan aborted due to serious illness of Rivera. Important meeting with artist Rufino Tomayo whose work reflected deep connection with ancient Mexican art. Painted and held first solo show in Mexico City. 1958-1970 Lived in Tel Aviv and Holon. Worked as editor, illustrator and exhibition designer. 1965 Five-month stay in U.S.A. where he came into fertile contact with American art. Since 1970 lives and works in Rehovot.

1963-1972 Art critic for The Jerusalem Post; 1966-1973 Art critic for Yedioth Aharonoth. Among curatorial projects: 1969 large Israeli representation at Biennale for Young Artists, Paris, 1984 Sao Paulo Biennale; The Rational Factor, Haifa Museum of Modern Art, 1986 Album of prints by teacher-artists, marking 80th anniversary of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. 1966-1969 and 1979-1982, member of Plastic Arts Section, Public Council for Art and Culture, Israel Ministry of Education and Culture.

Teaching 1977 – 1994: Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion, Haifa; Senior Lecturer Art Department, Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem; Sadna Workshop for Architecture and Design, Tel Aviv.

1958 First abstract and non-objective paintings; 1966 First artist in Israel to abandon rectangular formats as an unquestioned convention; first geometric hard-edge paintings. 1971 began to develop color structures based on rational ordering principles. 1983 initiated a Bezalel course entitled The Near East as the Source for Art Now that underwent variations over a four year period when his own concepts underwent significant changes. During 1980s and 1990s travel mainly in Mediterranean countries. 1985 Began integration of identifiable cross-cultural and cross-temporal images with concrete harmonic order. 1990 produced his first free-standing work. 1991 Developed three-dimensional ideas during five-month stay in the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris. These new works were directly related to the concepts of tel, reliquary, ark, temple, Islamic patterns and fractal theory. Added the Hebrew prefix Kadim to his name. Since 1995, computer-imaging has been his exclusive medium. Latest works realized as laser and ink-jet prints. 1999 First large-scale work (five meters).

In 2004 the artist opened a big scale exhibtion in Tel- Aviv Museum of Art – “Patterns/ An East-West Symbolisis”. Recently after he began working on his personal site and an Artist book. His book, “Reuven Berman Kadim- Geometric Art – The Hidden Order of Nature” was published in 2010 by Yediot Aharonot publishers and with the support of Mifaal Hapais.

In 2011 Berman Kadim recieved a lifetime achievement award from The Israeli Ministry of Culture.

Reuven Berman-Kadim passed away in November 2014.

His wife, Shoshana Berman, is a District Court Judge (ret). They have Two daughters and four grandchildren. Dana Berman-Einav is a book publisher, Noa Berman-Herzberg is a screenwriter and a screenwriting mentor, Both are married to former students of Berman-Kadim – Yaron Einav and Yoel Herzberg.

Exhibitions

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2025
Givon Art Gallery, “Works 2006-1966”, Curator: Dalia Manor

2022
Haifa Museum of Modern Art. – ״Artist room״ dedicated to the works of the artist, curator: Limor Alpern

2019
Zommer Galery of Art, “The Hidden Order of Nature”

2004
The Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, “Patterns / An East-West Symbiosis“. Curator: Marc Scheps.

2003
The Senate Gallery, Ben-Gurion University in the Negev, Beersheva, “Here, From the Tigris to the Pillars of Hercules“. Curator: Haim Maor.

2002
Beit Michal, Rehovot. Curator: Ada Na‘amani.

2002
Aheret Gallery, Tel-Aviv, “From Reuven Berman to Reuven Kadim“.

1995
The Gallery, Fine Arts Dept., Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem

1991
Artifact Gallery, Tel-Aviv

1990
Artifact Gallery, Tel-Aviv

1986
Mabat Gallery, Tel-Aviv

1985
Mabat Gallery, Tel-Aviv

1978
Galerie Denise René, Paris

1977
Eva Cohon Gallery, Highland Park, Ill., U.S.A.

1976
Tel-Aviv Museum of art, Helena Rubinstein Pavilion. Paintings from 1966 to 1976. Curator: Nehama Guralnik

1975
Delson-Richter Gallery, Old Jaffa

1972
Mabat Gallery, Tel-Aviv

1967
Rina (Bertha Urdang) Gallery, Jerusalem

1966
220 Gallery, Tel-Aviv

Selected Group Exhibitions- -(Excluding numerous exhibitions in Israel)
2020
“Patterns” group exhibition at “A Place for Art” Tel Aviv, curator: Dalia Danon

2016
Israeli Modernism in the Seventies from the Collection of the Haifa Museum of Art. Curator: Svetlana Reingold

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2015-2022
Tel Aviv Musem of Art. The Museum presents itself, Israeli art from the Museums’ collection

2015
Haifa Museum of Art, From Andy Warholl until these days: Culture, Color, Body. Curator: Svetlana Reingould

2015
Castro Fasion and the Tel Aviv Museum present T-ART

2012
Petach Tikva Museum of Art, Winner of life time Achievment Award, exhibition of the winning artists

2010
My Fathers Friends, Vertigo Ecologic art Village, Netiv Halamed He, Homage exhibit in memory of Shlomo Koren. curator: Nimrod Koren

2009
Painting Workshop 2009, Municipal Galleries, Ramla & Ofakim.

2007
Bezalel 2007, Public Auction, Sotheby‘s Tel-Aviv.

2007
30 Years Anniversity, Kabri Gallery of Israeli Art, Kibbutz Kabri.

2007
Embroideries “Rikamot“, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Curator: Prof. Haim Maor and students.

1999
Art-Worlds in Dialogue – From Gauguin to the Global Present, Ludwig Museum, Cologne. Chief curator: Marc Scheps.

1998
To The East – Orientalism in the Arts of Israel, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Curator: Yigael Zalmona.

1998
The ‘70s in Israeli Art, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art. Curator: Mordechai Omer.

1993
University of Haifa Art Gallery.

1993
Ultima, Herzliya Art Museum, Herzliya

1991
Israeli Art Now, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art

1991
Perspective – New Aesthetic Concepts of Art in the Eighties in Israel, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, Helena Rubinstein Pavilion. Curator: Dalia Manor.

1991
Place and Mainstream – 44 from Israel, Contemporary Israeli Sculpture, Hara Museum Arc, Gunma Prefecture, Japan; Korea. Curator: Reviva Regev.

1988
40 from Israel – Contemporary Sculpture and Drawing, Brooklyn Museum, N.Y .and other museums in Miami Beach, Mexico City, Amsterdam, Trieste, Rome, Torino, Warsaw, Berlin and Leipzig. Curator: Reviva Regev.

1987
Strukturen und Texturen, Gruppe “Konkret“, Museum der Stadt Bendorf, Germany.

1986
Trends in Geometric Abstract Art, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art.

1986
The ‘Hot’ and the ‘Cool’ in Israeli Art, Haifa Museum of Modern Art.

1986
Milestones in Israeli Art, Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

1984
The Rational Factor, Haifa Museum of Modern Art.

1983
Contemporary Israeli Prints, South American tour, opened in Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago, Chile.

1983
The First Triennial Exhibition of Israeli Graphics, Haifa Museum of Modern Art.

1980
Trends in Israeli Art 1970-80, International Art Fair, Basel. Curator: Micha Levin.

1979
Artists‘ Choice, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art

1979
Abstract Graphics from Israel, seven museums tour, Holland

1978
Israeli Art Festival, National Arts Centre, Ottawa; Albert White Gallery, Toronto. 1971 Multi-Ism, Haifa Museum of Modern Art

1969
Six Abstract Painters, Israel Ministry of Education and Culture. Curator: Mira Friedman.

Student-Models 1954 pen on paper, 25x50
Abstract #3, 1966, cardboard, 25x50
Squares and Rectangles, 1966, pastel on paper, 60x50, private coll. Israel
Bull 1960 pen on paper, 19x23
Spaces, 1966, canvas, 100x130
Anatomical 1966 canvas, 65x75
Yellow & Red 1967 Acrylic on canvas, 61x40
Work # III 1967 Acrylic on Canvas, private coll. Israel, 61x84
transitory 1966 Acrylic on canvas 26x24.5
Synchronization 1967 Acrylic on wood, 40x40
Tondos Group 1975 paper, 50x35
Untitled (centrifugal painting) 1973 Acrylic on wood, diameter 30, An a-symmetrical arrangement of varied forms and colors within a circular format
Pentagon Demo 1966 digital image
Aberrant Polygon 1968, 1973 Acrylic on wood, 50x46
Untitled 1975 Acrylic on Wood, 70x65
Untitled 1969-1971 Acrylic on canvas 50x50x50
Shaped Canvas #1 1968 canvas, 140x165
Rhombus with Vertical Undulation 1968 canvas, 51x51
Galaxy 2 2012 Chromogenic print mounted on dibond, 110x100
Ray-Play #3 1971 Canvas, 41x55
Frame and Shadow #9 1977 Acrylic on wood, diameter 65
Frams and Shadow #7 1975 Acrylic on Canvas, 114x162
Octagon #2 1977 Acrylic on wood 46.5x61
Frames & Shadows #5 1975-82 Acrylic on wood, 59x50
Frames & Shadows #3 1973 Acrylic on canvas 80x80, private coll., U.S.A.
Frames and Shadows #6 1975 Acrylic on canvas, 162x114. Israel Embassy, Washington D.C., U.S.A.