Shlomo Alter, Painter. b. 1936, Romania. Immigrated to Israel in 1948.
Studies with Aharon Avni, Tel Aviv.

Shlomo Alter was born in Romania to a family of restaurateurs. Hs natural artistic gifts were apparent at an early age. He immigrated to Israel in 1948 and during high school he started to study painting under the well known artist Aaron Avni.

In 1959 he left the army as a lieutenant, got married and embarked upon a successful career in computers. During this period he was sporadically guided in his painting by the world famous painter Marcel Janco. He also had the unique opportunity many times to visit the art capitals of Europe.

In 1975 he left the computer industry in order to dedicate himself entirely to his art. Altar’s works are influenced by his early recollections of the well dressed people who gathered in the courtyard of his parent’s restaurant in Bucharest to eat and drink, to dance of Gypsy bands, and to enjoy the convivial atmosphere.

With a touch of optimism and good humor Altar’s art reflects life at its core, an antithesis to the Nazi regime that shattered his childhood happiness. His paintings are like stage set on which the objects relate to each other through a glow of colors and lines – a frozen moment in time, a dynamic stillness prior to a burst of action. His style can best be compared to that of the Expressionists.

He uses color to give direct expression to his ideas in influence by the famous, particularly Matisse and Duty.

Alter is a versatile artist who works in many media including ink drawings, gouaches, watercolors, oils, silk screens, painted sculptures, and most recently, computer graphics.