ABOUT THE ARTIST
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Jerusalem in 1960, Efrat (Effi) Baler is a New York-based artist with a diverse background. Raised in Israel, Winnipeg, Canada, and Boston, USA, Effi began creating art from a young age with solo exhibitions sponsored by the Jerusalem Municipality Youth Department and participation in youth art delegations to Austria and France.
She graduated in Sculpture and Painting from the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem (1984), receiving an America-Israel Cultural Foundation grant (1983). Efrat was recognized as one of the promising artists of the 80s by Philip Lieder, critic and founding editor of ARTFORUM and featured in "PROMISE–Ten Bezalel Artists of the Last Decade" (1990).
Alongside her art career, Ms. Baler has taught art at various institutions and private schools in New York City, Brooklyn, and Jerusalem and held an administrative role at the Tate Americas Foundation (American Patrons of Tate). She has lectured on her artwork and the history of Israeli Art at several universities, including San Francisco State University, San Jose State University, the University of California, and Berkeley and lectured as a Scholar in Residence at the San Francisco Library (1998).
Effi has participated in over 70 group exhibitions and held seven solo shows in the US and internationally. Her works have earned Honorable Mention and critic’s awards and are in private collections. She devotes herself full-time to her artistic practice and has relocated her studio from Brooklyn to a larger space in Long Beach, NY.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
As a concept-driven, multidisciplinary artist, I create sculptural paintings and reliefs that transcend traditional boundaries between painting and sculpture. My work incorporates three-dimensional elements and non-traditional materials, expanding beyond conventional wall displays to stands, pedestals, turntables, and floor installations.
By revealing the backsides of canvases and incorporating shifting elements, I invite viewers to engage with my work from multiple perspectives. This approach challenges the passive, frontal viewing experience typical of traditional paintings and counters the fleeting attention spans of our digital age.
My hybrid creations blend traditional techniques with unconventional materials, exposing both physical and conceptual layers of the artwork. By constructing and deconstructing the canvas, I reveal the artistic process itself, creating dynamic forms that evolve as viewers interact with each piece.
My exploration of dimensional blending is influenced by my experiences as a cultural transplant. I investigate how objects, forms, and identities transform across contexts, reflecting the fluidity shaped by migration and cultural hybridity. Drawing inspiration from pop culture, current conflicts, cultural trends, and personal narratives, I embed references that resonate uniquely with each viewer.
Recent works respond to tragic events, including the October 7, 2023 conflict in Israel and Gaza. Through ordinary objects and seemingly everyday settings, I reveal hidden narratives and unsettling truths beneath the surface. These pieces evoke broader themes of vulnerability, domestic violence, displacement, and the fragility of home in the face of adversity.
Ultimately, my art invites viewers to pause, observe, and question their perceptions, fostering deeper understanding of the interplay between the visible and invisible, the known and the unknown.
*See the article here written about Artists' artworks and process for further insights
RESUME/CV
EDUCATION
1980-84 Bezalel Art Academy, Jerusalem, Israel. Graduated with a BFA from the Sculpture & Painting Dept.
HONORS
2024 The Homiens Art Prize (Summar, 2024), Highly Commended artist.
2024 Honorable Mention Award, GEN-ART: An Exploration of Creativity Across Generations | East End Arts, Riverhead, NY
2024 Honorable Mention Award, IMAGINATION - A JURIED EXHIBIT | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
2024 Critic's Award, 2024 LEONA POST AWARDS EXHIBIT | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
2024 Critic's Award, NATURE, Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
2023 Critic's Award, LEONA POST AWARDS EXHIBIT 2023 | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
2023 Honorable Mention Award, ASIAN INSPIRED ART | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
2022 Honorable Mention Award, 66TH ANNUAL MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION | Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, NY
2021 Members' Choice Award Winner, MEMBERS' CHOICE Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
1990 Promising artist of the 80s - cited by Philip Lieder, critic & founding editor of ARTFORUM in "PROMISE–Ten
Bezalel Artists of the Last Decade", publication in honor of the inauguration of the new Bezalel campus on Mount Scopus
1983 American Israeli Culture Foundation Scholarship for 1983-84, The Helena Rubinstein Grant (Keren Sharet)
1977 Artistic Youth Delegation of the Jerusalem Municipality to Austria and France
1976 Scholarship from the "Black Panthers" to study at the Jerusalem Artists House
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM | The Gallery at Suffolk Y JCC, Commack, NY
2024 REVELATIONS | Satelite Gallery of Patchogue Arts Council • MoCA L.I. Museum of Contemporary Art, Patchouge NY
2023 YUPO PAPER PAINTINGS AND OTHERS | Long Beach Historical Society Museum, Long Beach, NY
2017 SOLO EXHIBITION | Tugboat, PLG Arts, Brooklyn, NY
1991 SOLO EXHIBITION | Painters & Sculptures Association, Tel-Aviv, Israel
SOLO EXHIBITION | Municipal Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
1985 MUTATIONS | Anatea Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel
1976 SOLO EXHIBITION | Jerusalem Municipality Youth Dept., Municipal Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 LIFE THROUGH WAR, Digital projection at forum “Life Under Fire: A Time of Trials and Hope”, Beit Aba Khushi, Haifa, Israel ARTISTS ON ANTISEMITISM IV | 81 Leonard Gallery & Jewish Art Salon at the Gallery at Suffolk Y JCC, Commack, NY
68th ANNUAL MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION | Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, NY
2024 IMAGINATION - A JURIED EXHIBIT (Honorable Mention Award| Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
GEN-ART: An Exploration of Creativity Across Generations (Honorable Mention Award) | East End Arts, Riverhead, NY
'HE SAID, SHE SAID' | on ARTSY | Amos Eno Gallery, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
TALES | Patchogue Arts Council • MoCA L.I. Museum of Contemporary Art, NY
ARTISTS ON ANTISEMITISM II | Hyams Judaica Museum at Temple Beth Sholom | Roslyn Heights, NY
OPEN INVITATION | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
IMAGINATION REVEALED | Westbury Arts Center, Westbury NY
35th ANNIVERSARY NAWA Annual Members Exhibition (National Association of Women Artists) | One Art Space, NY, NY
LEONA POST AWARDS EXHIBIT 2024 (Critic's Award) | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
TOGETHER | Stars in the Arts, Pop Up exhibition, Loft 39, New York, NY
REACHING OUT | Moshava Gallery, 45 W 8th Street, New York, NY
A TIME FOR FREEDOM | Betzalel Gallery, Long Beach, NY
DAILY LIFE | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
NATURE (Critic's Award) | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
WOMEN CELEBRATE WOMEN 2024 | El Barrio Artspace, PS 109, New York, NY
67th ANNUAL MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION | Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, NY
NEW HORIZON | Long Beach Artists League, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
WORKS ON PAPER | Westbury Arts Center, Westbury NY
2023 WINTER EXHIBITION | West End Arts Guild, Long Beach Public Library, NY
#ARTISTSSTANDWITHISRAEL Art for Peace | KakdelArt and SVIVA, digital projections around the world
CELEBRATION OF ART | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
STAV Israeli Artists | Israeli Artist Project, 14th Street Y Gallery, New York, NY
NEW BEGINNINGS OPEN EXHIBIT | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
PET PORTRAIT SHOW | West End Arts Guild, Long Beach Public Library, NY
TRANSPLANTS | Amos Eno Gallery, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
SPRING BOUNTY | Betzalel Gallery, Long Beach, NY
LEONA POST AWARDS EXHIBIT 2023 (Critic's Award) | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
SENSE Digital exhibition | Arthouse.nyc, New York, NY
WOMEN CELEBRATE WOMEN 2023 | El Barrio Artspace, PS 109, New York, NY
61st LONG ISLAND ARTISTS BIENNIAL | Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, NY
NEW HORIZON | Long Beach Artists League, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
ASIAN INSPIRED ART (Honorable Mention Award) | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
2022 CELEBRATION OF ART | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
66th ANNUAL MEMBERS' EXHIBITION (Honorable Mention Award), Art League of Long Island | Dix Hills, NY
FORCES OF NATURE | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP EXHIBIT | Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
THE BEST OF WEST END ART | West End Arts Guild, Long Beach Public Library, NY
THE LEONA POST SUMMER AWARDS EXHIBIT| Long Beach Artists League, Long Beach Public Library, NY
WORDS & PICTURES | Long Beach Artists League Member Exhibit, Long Beach Public Library, NY
65th ANNUAL MEMBERS' EXHIBITION | Art League of Long Island, Dix Hills, NY
ANEW – A New Member Exhibit | Long Beach Artists League Member Exhibit, Long Beach Public Library, NY
2021 MEMBERS' CHOICE | Long Beach Artists League (Members' Choice award) | Long Beach Public Library, NY
THANKFUL | Long Beach Artists League Member Exhibit, Long Beach Public Library, NY
REFLECTIONS | Long Beach Artists League Member Juried Exhibit, Long Beach Public Library, NY
GOOD NEIGHBORS | Amos Eno Gallery, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
2019 LIC FEAR III | LIC Arts Open | The Plaxall Gallery, Long Island City, NY
DIGITAL EXHIBITION | Artbox.Gallery, Zürich, Switzerland
GIANT STEPS | Open Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2018 FALL SALON | LIC Arts Open | The Plaxall Gallery, Long Island City, NY
FROM MINISCULE TO MONUMENTAL | LIC Arts Open Gallery, The Factory | LIC, NY
2017 THE 5 NAPKIN SHOW | LIC Arts Open | Gallery II, The Factory, LIC, NY
DEBTFAIR Biennial 2017 | Occupy Museums project, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
ANIMALIA | Local Project Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2016 LIC ARTS OPEN | LIC Arts Open, Long Island City, NY
DIORAMARAMA | Club 157 | Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
THE FOOD SHOW | Local Project Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2014 THE SELFIE SHOW | MONA, Museum of New Art, Armada, MI
ANNUAL SMALL WORKS SHOW | 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2013 PLG ARTS GROUP EXHIBITION | Tugboat, Brooklyn, NY
2012 GO, BROOKLYN ART | Community Curated Open Studio Project, Artist’s Studio, Prospect Lefferts, Brooklyn, NY
THE INTERNATIONAL ARTIST FAIR | Parallax Art Fair, SoHo, NY
2011 GENERATIONS VIII | A.I.R Gallery, Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY
THE NEIGHBORHOOD | PLG Arts, Brooklyn, NY
2008 1ST ANNUAL GROUP SHOW | PLG Arts', K-Dog & Dune Buggy café, Brooklyn, NY
2006/07 TRACING SHADOWS | Israel Museum Youth Wing, Jerusalem, Israel
1999 THE BEGINNING…A SPACE EXHIBIT | The Space Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
1998 GROUP EXHIBITION | The Emerging Collector, New York, NY
SEND IN THE CLONES | The Emerging Collector, New York, NY
DIANA FEVER | The Emerging Collector, New York, NY
1995 NATIONAL SHOWCASE IV | Alternative Museum, New York, NY
1992 3 ARTISTS | The Red Building, Tel-Aviv, Israel
1990 PROMISE,10 Bezalel Artists Most Promising Artists of The Last Decade | Bezalel, Jerusalem, Israel
ARTISTS PAINTING ON A BILLBOARD | Public Gallery Project, 35 Lang St. Frankfurt, Germany
1989 GROUP EXHIBITION | Painters and Sculptors Association House, Tel-Aviv, Israel
1988 ARTISTS FOR THE AIDS TASK FORCE | Richter Gallery, Jaffa, Israel
1986 FIRST SHOWING | Dizengoff Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
1985 FRONT LINE | Ein Harod Museum, Kibbutz Ein Harod, Israel
VISITING ARTIST LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS
2025 Lecture: Art Appreciation fundamentals & Artist Talk on Solo Exhibition | The Gallery at Suffolk Y JCC, Commack, NY
2021 Presentation of artworks at The Jewish Salon’s "AFTER THE FLOOD: REGENESIS V" Open Studio |
https://bit.ly/Salon-Presentation
1998 The History of Israeli Art & Artist's Artwork | Scholar in Residence Series, The San Francisco Library, CA
1996 Slide Work Presentation of Artist's Works and Contemporary Israeli Art | California State University, Hillel House, CA |
Chico State University, CA | Monterey Peninsula College, CA | San Francisco State University, CA | San Jose State University, CA | University of California, CA | Berkeley, CA | Congregation Sherith Israel San Francisco, CA
AFFILIATIONS
National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) | America-Israel Cultural Foundation | Long Beach Art League | West End Arts Artists Guild | Art League of Long Island | Arts Council for Long Beach | Westbury Arts | The Jewish Art Salon
ARTICLE: Artworks and Creative Process of Efrat Baler-Moses
By Orly Azran Curator, Art Critic, Artist & Art educator
Published on Facebook - September 9, 2024
Click "See more" for translation to English
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
PUBLICATIONS
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Baler, E. “Cover Art and Featured Works.” Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine, Issue 33, Winter 2024. Published by DOOR IS A JAR, https://www.doorisajarmagazine.net/issues/winter-2024
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Baler, E. (2024). TEA BREAK. Mixed media on Yupo paper. Poem "Luck" by Arik M. Cohen, inspired by the painting. In OROT magazine (Issue 15, Gaza War - a creative project). Orot Hakarakh Publications 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/C29iFIztPUR/
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Leider, Philip. “PROMISE–Ten Bezalel Artists of the last decade”. Publication in honor of the inauguration of the new Bezalel campus on Mount Scopus. Published by BEZALEL ACADEMY OF ART AND DESIGN. June 1990.
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Ben-Noon, Yigal/ Cohen Gan, Pinchas/Lavi, Rafi/Dr. Ofrat, Gideon. “SIR LACHATZ (Pressure Cooker)–Young Art in Israel–at the Jerusalem Theater”. (Exhibition catalog). Israel: Published by STAVIT. March 1986.
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Bar-Or, Gila and Cohen Gan, Pinchas, “FRONT LINE–Group Show. Israeli Artists June–July 1985. Mishkan Leomanut Ein Harod”. Israel: Published by MISHKAN LE OMANUT MUSEUM OF ART EIN HAROD. June 1985.
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“YOUNG ARTIST’ EXHIBITION Artists House Jerusalem Summer 84’” Israel: Published by STUDIO 106. June 1984.
WEBSITES AND MEDIA APPEARANCES
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Artist Talk about the artwork “Wipe Out” at the “Artists on Antisemitism II & IV” exhibitions https://bit.ly/Wipeout-talk
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Excerpt from November Artist Talk Nov. 17, 2024: Efrat Baler on "Transplant" and "The Fabric of Our Lives" featured in the exhibition "Tales of Contact, Cultures, and Community." Curated by John Cino, Beth Giacummo, and Jeremy Dennis of Ma’s House, at the Patchogue Arts Council (PAC) and Museum of Contemporary Arts Long Island, NY (MoCA L.I.) from September 14 to November 17, 2024. https://youtu.be/0BzMAVwCcGw?si=_d-8d-BOi5Mhg78i
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Excerpt from recording from THE JEWISH ART SALON After the Flood: Regenesis V open studios. Presenting and discussing artworks relating to this theme. Artworks done during Covid lockdown and before. Curated by Dorit Jordan Dotan and Judith Joseph. September 19, 2021 https://bit.ly/Salon-Presentation
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The Food Show Exhibition, Local Project, Long Island City, NY 2016. NY1 TV segment (0:15 sec and end 1:18) Showing Piece of Cake, Pear it, Lemon Aid, FRUITION and Applet artworks. https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2016/03/8/all--palates--welcome-at-long-island-city-food-art-gallery
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Featured Artist April 2019 on ARTSY SHARK https://www.artsyshark.com/2019/04/02/featured-artist-efrat-baler/
PRESS & INTERVIEWS
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Grasso, Nicholas "Artists on Antisemitism IV Exhibit at Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center in Commack" NEWSDAY, 23/1/25
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Weiss, Suzanne “Israeli art reflects pastiche of cultures, artist asserts”. JEWISH BULLETIN OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (Weekly March 1998): Entertainment/Arts/Sports.
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Photo of a painting. AL’HAMISHMAR (Daily Newspaper). Israel, (1992 Jewish New Year edition): Art and Culture.
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Director, Rutt “5 Faces of Young Art - Review of exhibition at the Red Building”. MAARIV, (Evening newspaper), Israel. (07.10.1992): Art Review.
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Photo of a painting, HA’ER. (Weekly Newspaper). Jerusalem, Israel. (09/02/1990): Back Cover
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Painting on the Front Cover. WELCOME (Magazine of the Israel Airports) published by Israel Airports Authority Ben Gurion Airport. Israel. (Spring/Summer 1992) Cover
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Vekshtein, David, “Artist Monologue” ARIM (Cities) (Weekly Newspaper). Tel Aviv, Israel. (07/12/1991): Art Section
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Baler, Efrat. “About Art on a billboard–Efrat Baler in Frankfurt, Germany”. STUDIO (Israeli Art Magazine), Israel. (February 1990 Edition): page 57
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Photo of a painting from an exhibition, AL’HAMISHMAR (Daily Newspaper). Israel. (03/14/1986): Art Section
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Reviews and photo of a painting. KOL HA’EIR (Weekly Newspaper). Jerusalem, Israel. (02/28/1986): Art Section
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Broshi, Oded “No Ideology - First Exhibition of the Year–9 artists”, YEDIOT ACHRONOT (Evening Newspaper). Israel. (01/31/1986): Art and Culture
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Photo of a painting from an exhibition, HA’ARETZ (Daily Newspaper). Israel. (04/19/1985): Art Section
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“V” - Painting commissioned by magazine, TATRAMA (Art Magazine). Israel. (June 1985): International Edition No. 3
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Levi, Itamar, “Joining the Family. Review of art show - Bezalel Art Academy Art Dept., Graduate Show” YEDIOT ACHRONOT (Evening Newspaper). Israel. (June 1984): Art Section
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Goldstein, Gary, “Review of 3rd year Bezalel Art Academy Students end-of-year show” KOL HA’EIR (Weekly Newspaper). Jerusalem, Israel, (June 1983): Art and Culture section.
