Chaim Bezalel

Chaim Bezalel is not the only artist who was once a stockbroker. Jeff Koons and Paul Gauguin come to mind. Chaim's story is more like Gauguin's, but instead of leaving France for Tahiti, Chaim left Wall Street for Israel with a one way ticket and $1100 cash. Born in New York City and growing up in Dobbs Ferry, NY, he received a B.S. in Radio, TV, and Film from Northwestern University. After graduating, he spent several years on his own photography, working at a variety of jobs, some of them for photo-essays. In 1988 he moved to Israel and established Bezalel-Levy Editions which published his and his wife's work in various media. He has published eight books which include art, essays, and poetry. He has also been published in several anthologies. He has been a full-time artist since 1988, working in painting, sculpture, ceramics, and video. He is also a songwriter and musician. He and his wife live and maintain studios in Stanwood, WA and Ashkelon, Israel.