Born in Casablanca, Morocco, into a family of artists, Simone’s life was always destined to include a large measure of creative force. However, knowing first hand the hardships that an artist’s life can entail, she chose to first establish a secure and loving home for her family and only then, once her children had grown up, she felt the liberty to focus wholeheartedly on her art.
(Nevertheless, even in her chosen profession as a hairdresser, her creativity and craftmenship took center stage for which she had recieved top professional accalaids)
While continuing the family tradition and becoming an artist was somehow inevitable, Simone’s art is uniquely her own, steming directly from her personal experiences and life story, and is profoundly rooted in her surroundings.
After immigrating to Israel in 1964 she settled in the city of Beer Sheva in the heart of the Negev Desert, both of which provided abundant inspiration for every medium she has chosen to explore, influencing the choice of her subject matter and materials and anchoring it in her surroundings. Her work, while universal in nature, leaves no doubt as to its origin and locality.
In the early 90s Simone dived head first into the ceramic arts – both in pottery and sculpturing. For Simone the process of working with clay is all about what she describes as the four fundamental elements, Earth and Water – which form the material in her hands and Fire that feeds on the oxygen in the Air to transform her creations into lasting independent artefacts. Working with these fundamental elements connects Simone as a human being to nature and to the world around her, bringing her personal and spiritual satisfaction.
Avoiding artificial colorings and glazes, all her creations are made from materials that are part of the Earth’s natural resources.
Never one to be satisfied with mastering only one medium, Simone later expanded her craft into various other art forms. From mosaics to stained glass to weaving, each art form represented a new challange and a new universe. Yet, in whatever medium she works, her unmistakable creative signature always shine through.
After two succesful exhibitions in the early 2000s and a permanent residency at a local gallery, Simone realised that she had no further interest in displaying her art in commercial settings.
Instead she decided to open her front courtyard to the street and create a live gallery for the passers-by, a way to offer the public an unstaged, free, and fun access to her art, displayed in the surroundings that inspired it.
