ABOUT MENACHEM

The artist Menachem Yarkoni was born in 1943 in Israel, by the shores of the Mediterranean in Tel Aviv near the Yarkon river.

During his childhood Menachem experienced the sunset of the British Mandate rule and the Jewish underground struggle to end it. His neighborhood was surrounded by Arab villages (Someil, Jamousin and the aggressive Sheik Mounis). Up until the declaration of the state of Israel in 1948, the Someil Arabs would walk about in Menachem’s neighborhood, bearfoot, wearing Abayas and white Keffiyeh with a black Agal. They would offer a variety of goods - sugar cane, fruit and even canaries in cages.

Despite the difficult conditions, the harassments from both Arabs and by the British police, the atmosphere at home was relaxed; The family included Grandma Judith, mother Riva, father Meir, older sister Edna, older brother Arnon, and the young Menachem.

Young Menachem loved spending time on the beach, collecting sea shells, watching the seagulls and building palaces in the soft sand. On other days he would join his father and brother on a walk to the Yarkon river, watching them fishing and sometimes taking a rowboat trip along the river.

The boy grew, joined the Israeli Defense Forces and continued to serve his country for a few decades. He married Naomi, his wife to this day and had 3 children.

During the 1970s, the artistic bug began to infect Menachem and he began to express himself, first with charcoal sketches and later with oil on canvas, mostly focusing on still life.

After a long break, and as the artist was getting closer to retirement, he renewed his artistic interests with great gusto. The subjects were varied - childhood memories, travel experiences and others, in a realistic style. The waves of the sea, lakes, rivers and harshly colored skies are all sights that stir emotions in the artist and represent the prime motifs in many of his creations. Similarly, exceptional characters in the human landscape around the world attract the artist as well and inspire some of his art.