Paul Curran is an Israeli - Canadian artist who was born in Vancouver and has called Tel Aviv home for the last 11 years. 

The artist’s inspiration for this series came from his admiration for Theodore Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism. Curran’s drawings imagine what Herzl might have thought as he walked through the streets of Tel Aviv today. This juxtaposition of modernity and canonical history allows us to see the city through Herzl’s eyes, but also helps us imagine what he might have thought about the challenges and opportunities that the city faces today. 

To create that, Curran has divided the neighborhoods of Tel Aviv up by the12 tribes of Israel to connect the country’s biblical history with Tel Aviv’s modern identity. This allowed the artist to explore the diversity of Tel Aviv, and to show how the city is home to people from all walks of life. Like a contemporary Herzl, he finds beauty in every corner, and he depicts the beauty of some of Tel Aviv’s more marginalized neighborhoods, like Neve Shaanan and Kfar Shalem. Despite the political crises happening in Israel today, Curran’s drawings challenge the viewer to think about the city of Tel Aviv in new ways, and to see its potential for an even brighter future. 

The 12 Tribes of Tel Aviv Sumi ink and India ink on cold press paper

1. Jaffa - Zevulon

2. Shoken - Dan

3. Kikar Rabin - Judah

4. Neve Tzedek - Issachar

5. Kikar Dizengoff - 

6. Florentine - Naphtali

7. Hayarkon - Asher

8. Neve Shaanan - Shimon

9. Yehuda haLevy - Ephraim

10. Kfar Shalem - Gad

11. Carmel market -  Menashe

12. Frishman beach - Reuben