Bidspirit auction | Michal Alcalay

Michal Alcalay - ”Rays of Darkness” 2026. A promising young artist and Bezalel graduate, selected to exhibit in 2026 as part of the Fresh Paint Art Fair’s Artists’ Greenhouse. pastel on wood framed 40/40 cm Signed ''An Israeli street is a spectacle. It is not about beauty that can be objectively assessed, but it is about home. Night is a time when the street stops playing ”state” and begins to look more like itself, becoming a different arena - strange, a little threatening, but in which there is warmth of the heart. Night is the time for those who can't fall asleep, don't even try, who are returning home or just starting a shift into the night. Among all of these, nocturnal creatures roam - cats of course. For me, wandering is an intermediate action that occurs between one thing and another, and for cats it is a way of life. For the past two years, my work has been concerned with the Israeli street. I observe the human and animal presence there as a living, breathing, and constantly changing fabric. The street envelops me with nostalgia and warmth.  The concept of 'home' in my work is not limited to a closed structure. The Israeli home spreads beyond its walls and merges with the urban space, recognizable from a small, individual frame. An architectural detail, a lighting or a sidewalk – all of these carry unmistakable signs of locality. It is important to me to engage with the way in which technical solutions of light and shadow, reflection and shimmer, ‘smear’ and movement can convey complex feelings of belonging, memory and place.'' Michal grew up in an artistic home, her father was a painter. Her home was full of classical and contemporary Israeli music that influenced the perception of the home. The 4 years she studied art at Bezalel in Jerusalem left a persistent mark on her and her paintings. Today, she has returned to Holon, and is looking forward to seeing her hometown reflected in her paintings.  Michal is a young, high-quality and promising artist, who divides her time after her studies between painting in her home studio and studying art at a school for children on the spectrum in Holon.