Magazine
Imperfection Is Magic: Interview with a Textile Artist Tamar Branitzky.
Art comes in so many forms, and every time we meet a new artist, we’re reminded of how narrow our imagination can sometimes be. When we hear the word “artist,” we often picture someone with brushes and a canvas. But today, we’re introducing you to an artist who works with threads, textures, and pieces of fabric — and creates magic with them.
Tamar Branitzky
Contemporary artist Textile & Texture
Tel Aviv, Israel
Tamar, tell us a little about your professional background and your way to textile art.
From the beginning, I was immersed in creativity. I grew up in a home filled with art and aesthetics. My father was an amateur photographer and my mother ran a high-end fashion studio in the 90s. I was always around fabrics, creativity, museums, and culture. For a while, I dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. But later I discovered that what truly excited me wasn’t fashion, but the surface itself — the textures, layers, and expression that fabric can offer.
I studied at Shenkar College and opened my own studio in 2010. It all started with just one small room inside my mother’s fashion atelier on Levontin Street in Tel Aviv. Today, the entire space belongs to my studio — and my mom is still there with me, working behind the scenes as our production manager.
Your art is one of a kind – textile artworks. How have you decided to create them?
Creating artworks was my initial passion and desire. So when I opened the studio, I started with textile artworks. I exhibited them in Paris and Milan. But when I came back home, I have realized that I can do nothing in Israel with textile art – nobody understood what I was doing.
So I translated my ideas into wearable scarves. It was my opportunity to show my abilities as a textile designer and get first projects. Nevertheless after several very nice and successful years of working with fashion designers I have understood that I wanted to make something which is not something you wear only for one evening or give as a gift. You actually live with all the colors and with all the beautiful motifs. And I just came back to where I started from.
Tamar, how would you describe your art in a few sentences?
My art is delicate, poetic, and filled with emotion. I translate places, memories, and feelings into textile pieces — often soft, sometimes spiritual. My work is very much connected to Israeli identity, but it also speaks an international visual language. I always say: I freeze a moment in fabric. Instead of taking a photo, I stitch it.
Why have you chosen to work with textiles? How did you invent your unique technique?
Working with fabric feels alive — it moves, it surprises. It’s never rigid or static. My signature “broken silk” technique actually started as a mistake during a devoré experiment. I accidentally peeled away part of the cotton, and instead of being ruined, it revealed something truly beautiful. I realized that imperfection can be magic — and from there, I developed my own language of surface design.
What serves as your source of inspiration? What do you draw upon when working on a new item?
Most of my inspiration comes from everyday Israeli life — the chaos, the contrast, the textures of the city. I walk through Tel Aviv or Jaffa and collect visual memories: peeling walls, the sea, old signage, light and shadow. Even construction sites inspire me. Everything around me becomes part of the story I tell through fabric.
How long does the working process take? Describe the journey from the initial concept to the final product.
It always starts with a vision. Sometimes it’s triggered by something I saw or felt; sometimes it’s more abstract. I sketch or just dive into the materials. I layer, cut, stitch, experiment — it’s a physical and emotional journey. A piece can take days, weeks, or even months, depending on its complexity. Each work evolves in its own way.
What challenges do you face in your work, and how do you overcome them?
One big challenge is the market itself — when I started, there was no real audience for textile art here. That’s why I initially created wearable pieces like scarves, which became an entry point. They traveled the world and reached unexpected places. One highlight was when my scarves were chosen as official gifts from the President’s House of Israel — they were given to First Ladies and dignitaries across the globe.
Another ongoing challenge is the emotional rollercoaster: creating something with your whole heart and not knowing if people will connect with it. But I’ve learned to trust the process and believe that every piece will find its way to the right person.
Your art is amazing, but what is it like being a textile artist in Israel? Do Israelis value handmade pieces? How do you help people understand your work?
At first, it was hard. In 2010, very few people understood textile art. But things are changing. More people value handmade work now. They want something meaningful in their homes — something personal. I do a lot of studio visits and workshops. Once people come and see how I work, touch the materials, feel the emotion — they get it. That connection is the key.
Who are most of your clients: interior designers or individuals? Do young people buy your work? Do you sell abroad?
Most of my collectors are 40+, people who’ve already built a home and want to fill it with meaningful, unique things. Some are interior designers, but many are individuals who connect emotionally to my work. I also sell abroad through my website and galleries. A special moment for me was participating in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show — I met many people from the Jewish community there and it felt incredibly meaningful.
How do you see the presence and future of textile art in Israel? What do you think are the ways to promote it?
The potential is huge, but there are serious gaps. Shenkar has excellent students, but there’s no real industry infrastructure to support textile design careers. Many graduates leave the field. To succeed, you need not only creative vision, but also business understanding, perseverance, and passion. We need better platforms, more awareness, and real investment in the arts to keep this field alive.
What do you love most about your work?
There are two magical moments. First — when I touch the fabric and start creating, with no clear outcome, just emotion and movement. Second — when someone chooses that work for their space, when they connect to it and it becomes part of their story. That’s when it stops being just mine, and becomes something shared. That’s why I do this.
Tell us a little about your participation in the Fresh Paint fair.
Fresh Paint was a major milestone for me. It gave me a platform to present my textile pieces as art — not as fashion or craft, but as serious, emotional, visual work. I remember the excitement, the rush of people, the conversations. For many visitors, it was the first time they’d encountered textile art like this. And for me, it was a moment of recognition — that what I was doing belonged not just to the realm of design, but also to the world of contemporary art.
It opened doors. People started seeing my work differently. It helped me grow my audience, connect with collectors, and believe even more in the path I had chosen. It was more than just a fair — it was a turning point.
This year is my 5th time I participate in the Fair. I’m going to exhibit a new series of artworks, using old maps, atlases, old envelopes that will come to life in collages, creating a new local identity, which brings harmony and light in every space.
Do come, see you there!
Interview by Nadia Kraginskii and Olga Goldina for DI CATALOGUE