Reli Smith and Osnat Yaffe Zimmerman

Melted smoked clay popsicle sculpture for shelf or table display

2024

handmade in the picturesque village Arsuf in Israel the balloon creates tension between light vs. heavy, temporary vs. eternity, fragile vs. solid and more. The balloons can be installed individually as one balloon or in different combinations creating a unique installation for every space and making it an art tool for designers and architects as well as home owners. Harmony and grandeur characterize the work of Reli Smith and Osnat Yaffe Zimmerman in their artistic cooperation under the brand R+O Design. The goal in their work is to create a magical world of bright colors, along with pastels and monochromatic works of differing textures, which together form an aesthetic and “welcoming” tale. A surrealistic world is at the core of their design and art and this can be seen from ceramic sculptures of balloons, giant hearts, garlic heads made of gold, giant golden eggs as well as giant plates with gold edges, all filled with color, materials – fantasy, imagination and childhood. Parallel to this world, there is also a quieter level in their creation, which has a discourse with romantic cloths or textures taken from nature. Work with many techniques can be seen such as use of smoke together with various organic materials which create various natural textures. Another motif in their works is calligraphic inscription of a text on a design-art surface. The texts stress the positive elements in life and of the object on which the text was inscribed. The aim is try and charge the object with spiritual energy, which will reinforce the influence of the image on the viewer. Their joint studio is located in Arsuf opposite the sea in an open field. Situating the studio in nature gives the artists great inspiration in their work and allows them access to many natural materials which serve as raw materials in the works in many cases. In addition, their creative process involves a spiritual act of detaching from the daily race and urban life in favor of a quiet and pure creative process. Their works are found in many private collections in Israel and abroad. *At the core of the artistic ideology of Reli Smith and Osnat Yaffe is the value of contributing to society. A large portion of the brand income is donated to various charities that support children suffering from cancer and animals.