About Zachi
M. Zachi is a self-taught Israeli artist known for his bold black-and-white paintings and his focus on human emotion, expression and everyday moments.
Born and raised in Shaviv, Herzliya, Zachi grew up in a neighborhood filled with contrasts - hardship and warmth, chaos and community, toughness and humanity. At home, he and his brother were surrounded by love. Outside, he learned from an early age to observe people, their stories and the world around him.
Drawing had always been part of his life.
He drew when he was happy, when he was sad, and whenever he needed a quiet place of his own. But art was never part of a career plan. For more than twenty years, Zachi built his professional life in construction and renovation, while drawing remained somewhere in the background.
Then, in his early forties, something changed.
After years away from painting, he placed a simple easel and an inexpensive canvas in his living room. For weeks, he didn’t touch them. He eventually put them away - but a feeling that he was missing something made him bring them back.
The painting that followed changed the direction of his life.
One painting became another, then another. Soon, almost every free moment was spent painting.
He didn’t choose painting. Painting chose him.
With no formal art education and no teacher, Zachi began developing his own visual language: absolute white painted over absolute black.
For him, the choice is personal.
Black has always been his favorite color, and he describes himself as a person of extremes. His paintings reflect that same way of seeing life.
No grey. Just black and white.
His inspiration comes from simple human moments: a child teaching his sister to ride a bicycle, a girl watching her balloon disappear into the sky, a woman lost in music, or children playing together.
These moments may belong to strangers, but they often feel strangely familiar.
That is what Zachi looks for.
He wants someone observing his work to recognize more than the scene. He wants them to recognize a feeling, a memory - perhaps even a part of themselves.
Emotion and facial expression have become central to his work. Sometimes only part of a face is visible, yet the emotion remains clear. Joy, freedom, satisfaction, loneliness or tenderness can live in a glance,
