“The spirits of artists past lend me their form,
and I, in present, repay them in love and beauty
in my inevitable journey toward eternity”
“The spirits of artists past lend me their form, and I, in present, repay them in love and beauty in my inevitable journey toward eternity”
Amnon Moalem
There is a discipline in Amnon Moalem’s art that goes beyond technique. To carve wood at this scale, to bring a figure from a biblical narrative to life at over two meters tall, requires not only physical endurance and mastery, but a deep intimacy with the subject. Amnon does not merely depict these stories. He inhabits them, one cut at a time.
An Israeli artist working across decades, Amnon has built a body of work that resists easy categorization. It is monumental in scale, meticulous in craft, and rooted in the shared spiritual inheritance of Jewish and Christian tradition. Each work begins long before the first chisel touches wood, in careful study of scripture, of art history, of the specific scene’s visual and emotional weight.
His artistic lineage is explicit and honored. The Last Supper after Leonardo da Vinci, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel and Abraham and the Three Angels after Gustave Doré. Amnon does not imitate these masters, he enters into dialogue with them, reimagining their compositions in wood, gold, and epoxy at a scale that transforms them into something wholly new.
The materials Amnon chooses are not incidental. Gold leaf, applied by hand, piece by tiny piece, carries centuries of association with the sacred, the enduring, the divine. Copper and silver bring warmth and contrast. Cast-epoxy is used in selected works as an additional artistic and structural material. Together with carved wood and metallic finishes, it contributes to the distinct material character of those specific pieces.
Amnon’s monumental works are intended for collectors, galleries, cultural institutions, places of worship, and significant architectural spaces. Verified information regarding exhibitions, collections, placements, press coverage, and awards will be added only after confirmation by the artist.
“Under heaven’s vault, marvels are born; upon the earth, they sometimes take form”
On the desert plain beyond the eastern slopes of Israel’s capital, in a modest atelier almost hidden from view, the triumph of spirit over matter is enacted daily. From the third watch of the night as dawn approaches until sunset, amid monumental creations at various stages of execution and under the spellbinding glory of their beauty, relentless toil subdues the awe inspired by the vast undertaking, by its sheer immensity. The artist’s hand awakens the dormancy of raw materials, midwifing from their apparent barrenness hidden treasures and inexhaustible richness. Wood, metal, and pigment are stirred to the song of their destiny, while the creative genius of the artist’s spirit aspires to new pinnacles of perfection.
Amnon: native of Jerusalem. Artist creator. Autodidact.
In one of the fleeting respites from his Herculean undertaking, and paraphrasing the words of Auguste Rodin, he defined his purpose thus:
“The spirits of artists past lend me their form, and I, in the present, repay them in love and beauty on my inevitable journey toward eternity”
In the carved wooden works, the initial preparation may involve CNC technology to establish the primary structure and composition. Amnon then continues through extensive manual carving, refinement, and surface work. The balance between technological preparation and handwork varies according to the scale, subject, and requirements of each piece.
Epoxy resin is used in selected works as an independent material or in combination with carved wood. Its role differs from one piece to another and may include structural, visual, translucent, or surface-related functions.
The gilding stage is the final and most demanding phase. Metallic leaves, 24 Karat gold, silver, and copper, are applied by hand, sheet by sheet, to the finished surface. The technique is ancient, used for centuries to adorn relics, altarpieces, and sacred objects. In Amnon's work it serves the same purpose: to signal that what you are looking at is not ordinary.
Most works begin with a close study of a well-known artwork or engraving. Amnon develops a personal interpretation through material, technique, scale, composition, and surface treatment.
The composition, scale, and proportions are prepared for production. In carved wooden works, this stage may include CNC-assisted preparation before the manual carving process begins.
Following the initial preparation, Amnon performs extensive manual carving and refinement, developing the surfaces, forms, and details of the work.
In works that include cast-epoxy, the cast elements are produced and integrated according to the specific material and compositional requirements of the piece.
The combined structure is prepared for gilding: smoothed, sealed, and given a base that will hold the metallic leaves.
Gold, silver, and copper leaves are applied by hand, one sheet at a time. A large-scale work can require weeks of gilding alone.
Each completed work is photographed professionally, measured precisely, and documented for the collector’s record.
