Famed Israeli Graphic Artist Oded Ezer Coming to RISD

Famed Israeli Graphic Artist Oded Ezer Coming to RISD

Oded Ezer, 41, a critically acclaimed Israeli graphic artist and typographer with an international reputation, will bring his talents to the Rhode Island School of Design for a residency this upcoming fall semester. On campus, Ezer will be teaching a course on typography. While in residence, Ezer will have two exhibitions that will feature his work – one at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Center Gallery and one at the Brown RISD Hillel Gallery.

Bringing communities together

Ezer’s time at RISD is made possible by the Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artists Program, an initiative of the Israel Institute that brings Israeli artists—among them filmmakers, choreographers, musicians, writers and visual artists—for residencies at top universities and other cultural organizations in North America, with a focus on fostering interaction between the artists and the communities in which they are based. The goal is to expose a broader audience to contemporary Israeli culture. Ezer is one of 10 visiting artists who will be in residencies throughout the country as part of the program, founded in 2008 by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, which is part of the Schusterman Philanthropic Network.

“What makes The Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artist Program unique and so effective is that it allows members of the host community and the visiting artists to connect in a variety of settings—from formal to informal, Jewish to non-Jewish—over a significant period of time, rather than the more traditional one-off experience,” says Marge Goldwater, the program’s director. “As we look back on the first five years, we see that the success of the residencies has prompted host institutions to find ways to bring Israeli cultural leaders to their communities after the Schusterman artist has left.”

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Widespread success

Oded Ezer studied graphic design at the Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem. In 2000, he went on to establish his own independent studio, Oded Ezer Typography, where he creates stunning typographic and font designs. In 2004, Ezer founded Hebrew Typography, selling his own typefaces to leading media companies and design studios. His work is showcased and published worldwide, and part of permanent collections in eminent museums such as the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Israel Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Among his recent projects was the design for the New American Hagaddah, translated by Nathan Englander and edited by Jonathan Saftran Foer.

For more information about the program, please visit the Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artist Program website.