Soul on Canvas: The Painter Who Documented Judaism Under the Soviet Regime

The special exhibition currently displayed at the Castel Museum in Ma'ale Adumim reveals a fascinating world – the world of Yosef Ostrovsky, a brilliant Jewish painter who worked during the communist era, under the Soviet regime.

This exhibition doesn't just showcase paintings; it is a captivating journey into the world of an artist who managed, through his brush, to convey the story of an entire people. It is a story of suffering, hope, and dreams. It is a story of identity and roots. It is a story of art as a tool for preserving spiritual memory.

Yosef Ostrovsky was born in 1935 in the town of Shiptovka in western Ukraine, under the heavy shadow of the Soviet regime. Already in his childhood, he showed an extraordinary talent for painting, and as a young boy, he began his studies at the Art Academy in Odessa. There, within the walls of the academy, he acquired the foundations of classical art but also his first artistic freedom in life.

In the Soviet Union, where Jews experienced oppression and exclusion, Ostrovsky found refuge in painting. He began to create a secret series of paintings depicting Jewish life, a series he called "The Jewish Treasure." These paintings, created in secrecy, were full of powerful emotion and expressed the longing for freedom and Jewish identity. Portraits of Jews, with deep eyes and poignant expressions, depicted their suffering and hope.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, Ostrovsky immigrated to Israel. Here, he felt free to create his works freely. His paintings were exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide and gained much appreciation. In Israel, Ostrovsky found new inspiration and continued to paint touching portraits, enchanting landscapes, and everyday life in the Jewish community.

Ostrovsky's paintings are characterized by a confident brush, vibrant colors, and stunning plays of light and shadow. He was an artist of emotions, managing to convey the depth of the souls he painted.

Yosef Ostrovsky passed away, but his artistic legacy continues to live on. His paintings are displayed in museums and galleries worldwide, reminding us of the power of art to preserve memories, convey messages, and inspire. You are invited to take a peek at a magnificent gallery from the exhibition and see up close the moving images and the Jewish soul he expressed in his paintings.