Yakir Bezalel Award presented this year to Batia Ofer, Ohad Naharin, Said Abu Shakra and Maira Kalman

The Yakir Bezalel Award is presented annually to individuals the Academy wishes to honor for their notable and unique contribution towards education for excellence in art and design, strengthening and developing Israeli society, or promoting the fields of creativity, art, design, architecture and culture, in Israel and around the world.

Over the years, the award has been bestowed upon, among others, retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Prof. Aharon Barak, former President of the State of Israel and his wife Reuven (Ruby) and the late Nechama Rivlin, international designer Ron Arad, the late actress Ronit Elkabetz, the late architect Ada Karmi-Melamede, Baroness Ariane de Rothschild, sculptor Danny Karavan, and other prominent figures in Israeli culture.

The Yakir Bezalel Award will be presented this year to philanthropist and art collector Batia Ofer; choreographer Ohad Naharin; founder and curator of the Umm el-Fahem Art Museum, artist Said Abu Shakra; and illustrator Maira Kalman.

Batia Ofer

The Yakir Bezalel Award is hereby bestowed upon philanthropist and art collector Batia Ofer, in recognition of her influential and extraordinary contribution to the advancement of the fields of art, culture, and education in Israel and abroad. For her many years of work as a philanthropist and world-renowned art collector, who serves as Chair of the Royal Academy of Arts Trust in London. For her social vision realized in groundbreaking projects such as Art of Wishes; and for her deep commitment to coexistence, pluralism, and long-term investment in children and youth, including through leadership programs at Harvard University in the US and among the Druze community through the Idan and Batia Ofer Family Foundation.

Ohad Naharin

The Yakir Bezalel Award is hereby bestowed upon choreographer Ohad Naharin, in recognition of his contribution to the world of dance. For creating a unique movement language and its profound influence on Israeli and international culture. For his work as choreographer and artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company; for developing the “Gaga” language, an innovative approach to movement and bodily awareness that has influenced dancers and artists around the world. For his courage and groundbreaking works of art that observe Israeliness and humanity and touch the very depths of our souls. For works that contain resistance and criticism alongside pain and unparalled beauty.

Said Abu Shakra

The Yakir Bezalel Award is hereby bestowed upon founder and curator of the Umm el-Fahem Art Museum, artist Said Abu Shakra, in recognition of his groundbreaking vision and influential contribution to the advancement of Palestinian art in Israel, and for his long-standing commitment to building bridges between cultures through artistic, educational, and community work.

For establishment of the Umm el-Fahem Art Gallery, recently recognized as a museum of contemporary art—the first of its kind in Arab society in Israel—and for its transformation into an international cultural center and space for joint discourse for Jewish and Arab artists. For his significant work, which also includes documenting and making local culture and history accessible, and constitutes a model for deep civic engagement that sees art as a tool for education, for preserving identity, and for leading social change.

Maira Kalman

The Yakir Bezalel Award is hereby bestowed upon illustrator Maira Kalman, in recognition of her unique and significant contribution to the world of illustration and design, and for her extraordinary ability to combine art, literature, history, and popular culture.

For the many children’s and adult books she has written and illustrated; for her ability to cast everyday life in a new light, full of humor, emotion, and humanism, while connecting diverse content worlds and promoting art as a space of curiosity, freedom, and poetry. For inspiring generations of artists, and for her work, which is a tool for understanding the world, brings identities to light, and strengthens the connection between culture and life.