Raphael Abecassis Kabbalah Art

Raphael Abecassis was born in Marrakesh, Morocco in 1953. Shortly after that he immigrated to Israel and it was not until the age of 21 that he felt compelled to study art. He had never picked up a paintbrush in his life. Within six of receiving his formal art training in Israel he felt connected to what had been hidden inside him – a passionate urge to create.

​Abecassis is now a world-renowned Sephardic-Israeli artist whose unique style combines Jewish symbols, Sephardic motifs and modern composition into beautifully calibrated celebrations of color. In 1994, Abecassis designed what is now an artistic landmark in Los Angeles, California – the Sephardic Heritage Windows, a stained glass masterpiece.

Abecassis claims his artistic mission is to paint like the old Jewish masters painted hundreds of years ago. He concentrates on biblically inspired art with themes drawn from the Kabbalah – Jewish mysticism. This direction became clear to him when, according to Jewish custom, he was to present his future wife with a ketubah, a traditional marriage document. Abecassis thought his document was too plain so he decorated it in exquisite detail. The ketuba was a big success and today he creates personalized ketubot for brides and grooms.

​Jewish art continues to engage and attract Abecassis. His art is imbued with deep spiritual meaning and vibrant colorful imagery – seemingly dancing on the canvas. Abecassis brings to life the old technique of Decoupage. His technique transforms a conventional painting into a three-dimensional creating by lifting certain layers. The artist cuts the layers, separates them manually and then plays with the layers of the work to create a sense of dimension and perspective.

​Abecassis exhibits extensively in museums and galleries in the US, Canada, Europe and Israel.

Please contact us to learn more about Abecassis’ work and to purchase one of his artworks.