On the move

Gerstein’s work arrived in India before he did, showcased at the India Art Fair in 2013 and 2014.

Hundreds of visitors pass by the hand-painted figurines identified as David Gerstein’s Momentum.

Standing at a whopping 18 metre, the vibrant installation, with silhouettes spiralling their way to the top, is a distinctive feature of Singapore’s Business District. Hundreds of visitors pass by the hand-painted figurines identified as David Gerstein’s Momentum. It is one of the several installations by the Israeli artist that dot cities the world over, from Seoul to Germany and across Israel. “I recently completed three sculptures at the athletic stadium in Hsinchu, Taiwan,” says the Israeli artist, scrolling his camera phone to show a photograph of his work. It is trademark Gerstein; the 14-metre long Big Peloton Wave has cyclists zipping past with their hair blowing in the wind.

In his first outing in India, the scale of work is smaller when compared to his mammoth public installations, but Gerstein suspends them on the walls at Visual Arts Gallery with equal passion, for the solo exhibition titled “Poetic Mirror”. Brought to the country by Bruno Art Group, the collection curated by Alka Pande is a true representation of his oeuvre — the 3D metal cutouts in bright colours have a kinetic energy rather than being inert. If 5th Avenue depicts a busy street scene inspired by his stay in New York, Happy Hours has two bikers surrounded by a cloud of butterflies. Endless Walk represents a crowd walking in lines and The Burning Lips captures a playful kiss. “Art should be simple and basic, to be enjoyed,” says Gerstein.

Gerstein’s work arrived in India before he did, showcased at the India Art Fair in 2013 and 2014. One of Israel’s most famous artists, the market is flooded with copies of his work. “Earlier I used to feel angry. It took years to develop this style and now people are making money copying it. But now I think this is the biggest compliment I can get. It proves that my work is appreciated,” chuckles the 69-year-old.

Gerstein has always moved against the tide. When the world was inclining towards conceptual art back in the ’70s, Gerstein was experimenting with figurative painting. The turn towards painting in the ’80s had him practise painted wood-cuts instead. To battle the flatness of plywood, the surface was covered with glue and sand and painted with acrylic for a rough texture. Acceptance took time, but the artist was persistent. “I knew I was on the right track. I enjoyed it. Perhaps it also came naturally. My father used to cut leather in a factory, so maybe it was just an inherent talent,” he says. The breakthrough came years later, with an exhibition at Israel Museum in Jerusalem in 1987 and thereafter in the US and Canada, among others.

Less than a decade later, however, Gerstein was on to another experiment. Laser cutting brought in metal cuts, industrial paint replaced acrylic and improved technique gave rise to strong figuration and bolder, brighter colours. The themes though remained the same. After all, they were rooted in his childhood. “Most artists tend to draw from their own experiences,” he says, recalling how the vase that he often paints is a recollection of a painting that occupied a prime position in his home as a child. Among the cyclists zipping past is his mother, whom he saw learning how to ride a bike as a young immigrant who had just moved to Israel. “I was amazed how she was learning to cycle in her 20s. I had to wait for my first bike till I was 12. There used to be a long wait,” he says. Picking up the brush came naturally to him at the age of five. Paper cuts acted as toys for him and his twin, Jonathan. Play led to profession; after completion of his military service, he applied to the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, followed by the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the Art Students League in New York. “That provided exposure to some of the greatest artists such as Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso,” he says.

The desire to be close to his roots, however, brought him back to Israel. Dividing his time between his studio and the Bezalel classroom, he began teaching. “I never sought financial assistance from my parents,” says Gerstein. More than 50 solos later, he is more than comfortably placed. He has two exhibitions in Belgium in the coming week, and a public installation in Kazakhstan. India will have to wait — his visit is only a two-day halt.

The exhibition at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, is on till May 15.
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Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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