3/8/2007

After a 21-year hiatus from painting, Israeli-born artist Elisha Ben-Yitzhak says he’s been away from his passion long enough.

To mark his return to art, Ben-Yitzhak, who now lives in Milwaukee, will show his world-renowned paintings from Monday, March 19, to Sunday, May 20, at Donnybrook Fair, 427 E. Silver Spring Drive, Whitefish Bay.

Additionally, Ben-Yitzhak (will) be honored at a reception Saturday, March 31, also at Donnybrook Fair, where guests can meet and talk with him about his paintings that have been shown in Zimbabwe, Great Britain, Switzerland, Spain, Israel and across the United States. The 4 to 8 p.m. reception will be free to the public. A cellist will play and refreshments will be served. The theme of the show will be “Emotions.”

Ben-Yitzhak was born in Kibbutz Kfar Blum in Upper Galilee in Israel and studied art in Jerusalem and at the Avni Art Institute in Tel Aviv. He moved to Milwaukee in 1985 to focus on his business Heavenly International Tours, and just recently got back into painting.

All of Ben-Yitzhak’s works reflect personal experiences and symbols of life, he said.

“Most of my images combine both figurative and surrealistic elements. They might appear to be from a different world, but, upon closer inspection, are quite realistic and intriguing,” he said.

The paintings will be displayed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Information is available at Donnybrook Fair, (414) 332-0996.