Sami Briss

Briss studied at the School of Fine Arts in Bucharest (Camil Ressu's Studio). In 1960, he left Romania to settle in Israel, where in 1967 he organized his first solo exhibition in Tel Aviv, which was followed by 27 solo exhibitions organized in France, Israel, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, West Germany, the United States, and Canada.
Briss inherited his love for design from his mother, a seamstress, and, fascinated by the rich embroidery of fabrics, he delighted his mother from a young age with his own drawings. She encouraged his interest in the arts and supported his decision to study at the School of Fine Arts in Bucharest. Early in his career, Briss painted still lifes of remarkable beauty, which demonstrated his undeniable preoccupation with construction. He successfully experimented with lithography and woodcut, but, in the 1960s, he dedicated himself entirely to painting. In his art, which adheres to no precise code of contemporary art, Briss invokes various legends to create his own vocabulary of symbols. Fish appear in his works as a symbol of abundance, hands evoke strength and happiness, and birds in flight suggest the hope of detachment. His works are found in museums and private collections in Romania, France, Israel, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Canada, and the United States.