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Victor Halvani no doubt had an enchanted childhood. A warm loving Jewish family. His father a judge, his mother, descendent from a rabbinic family, was a great storyteller who transformed the heroes of the Bible into her child’s best friends. A small village at the base of the pyramids of Giza, school trips to the Valley of the Kings in Aswan. Ancient Egyptian art looking at the dreamy child from every corner. Given the chance to look back, it becomes clear that Victor’s lifelong dream – to become an artist, had it’s beginnings right there – in the child dreaming at the Nile.
Victor Halvani was born in 1930 to Bella and Yitzchak (OBM). Soaked in that enchanted childhood atmosphere, Victor found himself spending hours and days in the Cairo museum of art, looking at the exhibits and drawing them with intensity and enthusiasm. His inspiration filled drawings caught the eye of his teachers and with there encouragement he entered a national competition in which he won first place. This lead to him winning a full scholarship at the art faculty in Zamalek and at the Cairo University. Full of hopes and dreams he began his studies, only to be interrupted after one year. The Israeli war of independence began and subsequently the pogroms, and the urgent need of Egyptian Jews to emigrate, going first to France and than to Israel. Landing in a new country isn’t simple, definitely not in a country just founded and fighting for it’s survival every second. Victor’s first years in Israel were years of struggle for survival, but simultaneously years of activity and progress. In 1950, while serving in the army, Victor met Margalit, the women at his side, mother of his children and the most present character in his career of activity and art. With Margalit’s encouragement and support he not only raised a family, fathering two boys and a girl, but also fulfilled his dream and was fortunate to have a full and inspiring career- as a person, artist, and teacher. Today, in his advanced age, Victor continues his daily activities: creates, plans, exhibits, and as always – open-minded, curious, learning, getting updated.
No doubt, in recent years our parents can smile contently and manage our father’s artistic activity, assured in the knowledge that us their children: Yuval, Ruti, and Giora, have returned from our occupations around the world, and reconnected with them to continue there shared life project; their artistic, educational, and business life’s work. Our father is the artist and internationally renowned sculptor Victor Halvani and our mother Margalit is the one who actively managed our father’s art gallery in Safed for 30 years, and was a full partner in the design and construction of his art galleries, exhibitions and art projects in Israel and worldwide. And if we may put in a personal note, beyond any role she performed our mother was (and is) the life force, source of joy, encouragement, and wellspring of inspiration.
In the many years we spent outside the family business each one of us built a different and extensive career, with which we wandered around the country and world for many years.
Yuval – is a professional photographer, and independent artist, alongside collaborating in the process of creation of our fathers sculptures and construction of art projects for over 35 years.
Ruti – An Opera singer with an international career, and a voice teacher. In recent years she has taken charge of customer relations and sales for Halvani art.
Giora – Sea Captain and a Sea pilot. Management consultant and collaborator on art projects and in the design of the future Halvani museum in Ein Hod,
We have come together to disseminate, preserve, and tell the story of our family art, of which we are all inseparable parts since our childhood. Our purpose is to perpetuate our father’s artistic life project, to share with the world a rare artistic quality which penetrates and greatly inspires every heart which sees it. To preserve a generation-bridging art, which maps a unique artistic line combining historical flashes from ancient Egypt (our father’s birthplace), biblical figures (his tradition), and a yearning for a better world. Where motherhood, music, faithfulness, and human dilemmas, create a unified shared conversation instead of disconnect and division.
We Yuval, Ruti, and Giora,
Will be glad to answer any question, give artistic advice, and set up appointments to visit the art gallery in Ein Hod.