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Modern Hebrew calligraphy
Michel D'Anastasio (1968) discovered the calligraphy for the first time in 1989. A year later he started to take lessons at DUCTUS - first French calligraphic association where he met famous calligraphy masters such as Claude Mediavilla, Jean Larcher and Kitty Sabatier who become his tutors. He got befriended with various styles of occidental calligraphy (English classic, chancellery and modern style writing) and discovers basics of Chinese art of writing too. In 1993 he discovered modern gestural style of writing -a very deliberate way of making calligraphy while taking lessons with Bernard Arin in Toulouse. Between 1997 and 2003 he worked closely with Kitty Sabatier – during this period he confronts his knowledge with new utensils and materials. The turning point in his artistic carrier is summer 2004. Shortly after having discovered the fact his Maltese family origins come from Jewish background deep in history his voyage to Holy Land opens to him a way to the Hebrew letters. Ever since he has become one of two major specialists in modern Hebrew calligraphy in Europe. After some time he turns to more contemporary techniques – a photography; he writes and takes pictures of his calligraphic works in the different light moods but not only he on his turn becomes a well-known teacher of the beautiful art of calligraphy. Michel D'Anastasio is known worldwide mainly for his works with Hebrew letters he represents all around the globe from Japan via India and Russia to Canada.
Approach to the creation of Hebrew calligraphy
2004 to presence…
Michel profited of his stay in Malta short after the country of his ancestors celebrated joining the European Union to make the genealogical research. This was how he discovered the fact of one party of his family has been being of the Jewish origin.
During his voyage to Israel, some couple of months later, Michel found the admiration for Hebrew culture. He is fascinated mainly by the Hebrew alphabet. After his return to Paris, he started study perseveringly as a self-thought in hours and hours per week... The letters are beautiful to work with them and Michel felt these artistic emotions in very beginning of his artistic journey. New world has been opened to him with its new palette of shapes and signs.
Michel discovered the cursive letters, much more lifeful, more free and modern. The primary admiration has transformed itself to the evident and careful will: to improve and to modernize mastery of outlines of Hebrew alphabet as he likes and in the same way as he used to do with roman alphabet before.
Today, Michel takes the lessons of Hebrew to feel the meaning of signs aborning under his fingers much more strongly.
The work has become diverse quickly, Michel uses new materials to add on value of his works of art. Photographs of beautifully written letters and objects of decoration make great successful profit.
As an artistic director of the visual communication agency he creates logos and logotypes using calligraphic creations to build the graphic images, mural stickers and decorative lightening and lamps.
Expositions
2013 Judaica Calligraphy - Maribor Synagogue (Slovenia)
2013 Calligraphy exhibition Central Gallery, Kurashiki (Japan)
2012 Columbia University / Barnard's Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life - New-York (USA)
2012 Jewish Community - Center Soloway - Ottawa (Canada)
2012 Aliyah Arts Galerie - Montréal (Canada)
2012 Festival Sefarad - Montréal (Canada)
2012 IV International Exhibition of Calligraphy Moscow (Russia)
2012 Cultural Center - Ormesson (France)
2011 Liberec Synagogue - Liberec (Czech Republic)
2011 Calligraphy exhibition Fukuyama City Museum (Japan)
2011 Group exhibition « COULEURS ET MATIERES » - Paris (France)
2010 17th Storytelling Festival and calligraphy - University Library - Amiens (France)
2010 European Days of Jewish Culture of Lorraine -University Library - Metz (France)
2010 III International Exhibition of Calligraphy, Velikiy Novgorod (Russia)
2010 Tel-Aviv Accessible art - Gebo Art center, Tel-Aviv (Israel)
2010 Cultural Center Nicolas Peiresc - Toulon (France)
2010 Jerusalem Synagogue - Prague (Czech Republic)
2010 LIGHT, SOUND & CALLIGRAPHY - Grenoble (France)
2010 Israel Palestine "The peace as utopia" - Besançon (France)
2009 2nd International Exhibition for Calligraphy Moscow (Russia)
2009 Comptoir des écritures, Paris (France)
2009 Cultural Center - Ormesson (France)
2008 Callifest Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art -Mumbai (India)
2007 Gallery Art-&-Miss - Paris (France) 2006 Gallery Art-&-Miss - Paris (France)
2005 Saint James Cavalier Centre for creativity - Valetta (Malta)
2005 Ministry of Gozo Island - Gozo (Malta) 2004 Center Jean Monet - Paris (France)
2004 Gallery ART O NIVEO - Brugge (Belgium)
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