Flora Deborah investigates human and non-human perception of roots and the meaning behind the idea of identity and its connection with non geographical specificities through her work. She lives and works between Tel Aviv and Milan having studied at the Bezalel Academy of the Arts in Jerusalem and the University of the Arts London. Her work includes sculpture, video and installation and has exhibited in Italy, the United Kingdom and Israel. She was shortlisted for the Cramum Prize in 2016, and presented her work in the exhibition Una stanza tutta per me (A room of my own), curated by Sabino Maria Frassà, sponsored by Cramum and Ventura Projects for Design Week 2019.
We had a chance to speak with Flora about her childhood, her creative process and what major differences did she find between Tel Aviv and Milan working as an artist.
I was always the happiest while sitting on the floor or at a table making something with my hands.
Hello Flora, tell us something about yourself.
Hello, I’m an artist and I’m a maker of things
"Maker of things," I like that. When did you first become interested in art?
It’s tricky for me to pin point a precise moment in time, but I can say that as a child I was driven by all kind of creative activities, and through the years I was always the happiest while sitting on the floor or at a table making something with my hands.
What are some early memories you have about art?
I think that my first memory related to art making is about how I broke a felt pen while working on a pointillism drawing in kindergarten, drawing was always a lot fun!
Let’s speak about your hometown. What do you like the most about the city?
Before the Covid19 pandemic hit, this kind of question would trigger lots of doubts related to my identity. Being born in France, growing up in Milan I’ve spent most of my twenties in London before moving to Tel Aviv. Choosing which hometown to talk about always felt tricky.
That said when the pandemic exploded in Milan this past February, I took the last available flight home which made me realize that the answer to this question was in fact quite simple.
Absurdly this is the city I know the less as I never lived there as an adult, yet I can say that my very favourite things in Milan are found in the simple things: a walk in the park close to where I grew up, a family lunch or a caffé at the local with a friend.
Milanese, but living and working in Tel Aviv. Can you tell us why you chose Tel Aviv? What are the differences you found in the two cities as a working artist?
Tel Aviv is f