Beni Gassenbauer was born in France in 1949 and settled in Jerusalem in 1976. He studied with the best art masters in Israel. Before becoming a full-time painter, he worked as a dentist for many years. At age forty, he felt a strong urge to pick up the brush again and devoted himself to watercolor.
He paints large, luminous, figurative watercolors that capture the unique light of Jerusalem. His work invites the viewer to enter the picture and search for the hidden. He offers scenes of ancient gates, shadowed passageways, balconies, and backyards. Through these subjects, he transmits his deep feelings of tranquility and peace.
His artistic vision is shaped by French Impressionism and the rural realism of the Barbizon school. He applies transparent layers of watercolor to create rich textures and sharp-focus images. He moves from the pale pinks of morning light to the deep, dark shadows of the harsh Mediterranean sun. This interplay of light and shadow creates breathtaking, intense color contrasts.
His career as a painter began in 1988. Since 1991, he has participated in numerous international watercolor exhibitions in Europe, North America, and Asia. He has held solo shows in Israel, France, Switzerland, and China. He was the head of the Israeli branch of the International Watercolor Society until 2019 and the leader for Israel of FabrianoInAcquarello until 2025.
“Living in Jerusalem for more than 40 years, I am attracted by the light that gives the city its unique atmosphere.”
His work has been widely exhibited, including at the Ming Gallery of Art in Suzhou, China, in 2017. He also participated in the Tirana International Watercolor Biennale in Albania and the Festival Aquarelle Mediterranee in France. He gives watercolor classes in his studio and workshops and master classes throughout Israel. His paintings are held in private collections around the world.
Q: What makes Beni Gassenbauer’s watercolors unique?
A: His masterful use of watercolor to capture the intense Mediterranean light of Jerusalem, combined with his precise, figurative style and his ability to convey a sense of peace and mystery, sets his work apart.