Maty Grunberg (1943)

“Life Spectrum, 1970
Mixed media on Paper

8.5” tall

9.5 : across

3.5 “ deep

A 3-dimentional paper sculpture with colorful watercolors. To be stacked upon each other to bring out design.

Grunberg started to develop 3-dimensional paper sculptures during the seventies and continues developing these works till today.

Maty Grunberg was born in Skopje, Macedonia, the former Yugoslavia.  In the year 1948 he immigrated to Israel with his parents and sister “Liora”. They were part of the remnants of Yugoslavian Jewry escaping from Europe. He grew up in Bat-Yam, a small beach town south to Tel Aviv. His father, Leo, was an engineer and an inventor. His mother, Bella Kimchi, was a descendant of an old family coming from Toledo, Spain. M.G. finished “with honor” his studies in “Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design“, Jerusalem (1964–66) and continued for his M.A. degree in “Central School of Art and Design” in London (1969–71).

In the year 1977, in the early days of Maty Grunberg’s sculpting career, he was invited to spend the day in the company of the greatest of England’s sculptors, Henry Moore. He was lucky enough to be given a personal tour by Moore himself. They scanned the giant sculptures that stood on the green, grassy knolls, the old sculptor leaning on the young sculptor. Later, they came into a small studio; its walls covered with shelves, crowded with rows upon rows of tiny sculptures – models of Moore’s giant sculptures. When Grunberg asked “but where is the landscape of those tiny sculptures?” Moore picked up one of the models, placed it in the palm of his hand and said, “Landscape? This is the landscape.” And thus began a tutoring session that lasted for several hours, the object lesson being that the entire sculpture is contained in the palm of one’s hand. This extreme miniaturization glosses over the details, extracts the essence of the concept and captures the correct spirit that later dictates the execution and details of the full-size piece. This idea is visualized in the small sculpture named “A Sculpting Problem” – the artist’s palm, with tiny models of other sculptures growing from its fingertips. To this day, this is how Grunberg approaches the planning of his sculptures – from the palm of his hand.

Grunberg started to develop 3-dimensional paper sculptures during the seventies and continues developing these works till today. Paper Erosion works were first exhibited in London in 1977 and in New York in 1978 and last in Tel Aviv in 2012.

He lived and worked in London and New York for 44 years. 2007 he came back to Israel and opened the Studio in Bat-yam.

Maty Grunberg created over 25 Artist Books in collaboration with some of the well-known writers. The books were done in different techniques that M.G. studied and specialized– 19th century etching, silk screens, woodcuts and Digi-graphic (21st century) prints. All were published in limited editions.

In 1985  he created “The Jerusalem Gates” were he worked closely with architect Moshe Safdie and sculpted a series of 3 bronze gates for Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC) Jerusalem. Also created for HUC a relief – “Menorah – The Tree of Life” and a relief – “Dove of Jerusalem”.

In 1988 the created “Menorah – Tree of Knowledge” in the façade of Hebrew Union College, (HUC) New-York, with architect Max Abramowitz, and “The Garden of Boca Raton”, a series of bronze sculptures, Industrial Hi-Tech complex, Boca Raton, Florida.

In 1999 he began his series of sculptures titled “Sundial Sculpture”, made of bronze, that was installed in a private garden in Ascot, England. Another in 2000 installed at the front entrance of the New York Hall of Science in Corona Park, NY and in 2013 a final “Sundial sculpture”, made of stone and bronze, in Teddy Park, Jerusalem.

His works are in the permanent collections of many institutions including The Jewish Museum, NYC, Leicester Museum & Gallery U.K., The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Mo By- Museum of Bat Yam and the Jewish Museum of Maryland.