BIOGRAPHY

The career of Mr. David Gafni has evolved through combining two parallel fields of expertise, colorful fantastic realism painting expressed in many exhibitions both international and "one man shows" and at the same time David Gafni has become a leader museums designer designing some of the biggest and leading museums in Israel.
This biography is divided into two parts: the art career and the museum designing .






Paintings Exhibitions
2009 The manager and curator of the "Herzelia Artists Home Gallery"
2005- 2009 Paintings exhibitions in Art Expo, New York USA
1985 The Municipality of Jerusalem hosts "The End of Days" exhibition at the International Cultural Center for Youth.
Since 1984 Participated in group exhibitions.
1984 The Municipality of Haifa brings the exhibit: "The End of Days" to Haifa, hosting it in Beit Abba Khoushy, Haifa.
1983 Israeli Television presents a 30 min. program on "The End of Days", based on the exhibit at Beit Ariela.
1982 One-men show of oil paintings, at the Beit Ariela, Tel-Aviv. On "The End of Days in the Kabbalah".
1979 Accepted into the Union of Painters and Sculptors in Israel.
1978 Displayed oil paintings in the international exhibition, Art '78, Washington, U.S.A. on "Angels".
1976 One-men show of oil paintings, on "Legends of Kabbalah". Turel Gallery, Tel-Aviv.
1975 One-men show of oil paintings and graphics, on "Kabbalistic Universes" Chimerinsky Gallery, Tel-Aviv.
1974 One-man show of oils and graphics, on "Creation and Vision" Tzavta Gallery, Tel-Aviv.
1973 First one-man show of oil paintings and graphics, on "Matter and Spirit" Tzavta Gallery, Tel-Aviv.
1962 - 1966 Student of Bezalel Academy of Art, Jerusalem. Graduated with honors, and received the Hermann Struck Award for etchings.


Museums Design
1989-2005 Yad Mordechai Museum renovation : The museum of Yad Mordechai is dedicated to the memorial of the holocaust and the Israeli Independence war. During this renovation we added a new sections including a reconstruction of the Warsaw ghetto uprising bunker.
1989-2005 Jewish immigrant ship : The historical museum for the illegal Jewish immigration to Israel during and after the second world war. The museum is built on 3 decks of an authentic ship from these days.
1989-2005 Western Wall Cavern Museum : in-house designer for 16 years.Designed and established Herod's House model display – an experiential display with a giant pneumatic model, fiber optics and artistic lighting. Quarrying and transporting rocks to build the Western Wall model – pneumatic operation of moving objects, including 3D simulation movie of the quarrying and construction of the Western Wall. Designed the giant transparent bridge in the Hashmonaim Cavern above the aqueduct dating back to the Second Temple era. Designed lighting infrastructure artistic lighting and original signage throughout all caverns. The site won the Beautiful Israel Award, 1993.
1998-2001 Timna Park Presentation:- Planning and design of a master plan that includes 10 museum sites. Presently, 4 have been implemented. Curator: Prof. Beno Rothenberg, IAMS, London University.
Experiential Visitors' Center – Time Mines – including computerized multimedia display, revolving stage, 6 X 360’ semi-transparent giant screens + ceiling projection. Combined with pneumatically operated 3D artifacts behind the screens.
Field Museum: Rock Painting Valley, including artistic replicas of local rock paintings.
Field Museum: The Ancient Mines, including recreated processes. 12 Sculpturs of giant historical figures at the entrance to the park and throughout the site.

The site won a silver medal in a competition for display design on behalf of the Israeli Association of Designers for the year 2002
1995 Designed and directed establishment of the Multimedia "Old Gesher Museum" Kibbuz Gesher.
1979 - 1993 In-house Designer and director of exhibition workshop of the Museum of the Diaspora, for 14 years, " Beth Hatefutzot", Tel-Aviv.
1992 Designed and directed establishment of the Multimedia "Israeli Intelligence Museum, Tel-Aviv.
1978 - 1981 Designed and directed establishment of a museum on the birth of the State of Israel; "Hall of Independence", Tel-Aviv.
1972-1975 + 1986 Historical Museum, Yad Vashem: 4 display halls, including models, giant photographs and audiovisual systems.Modifications and additions to display.
1972 –1974 NASA Space Display, Paris Aerial Salon. Two huge exhibitions, approximately 6,000 sq.m. each. Historical display of all objects brought from the Smithsonian Space Museum, Washington DC.
1972 – 1980 Tel Aviv Museum of Art: in-house designer for 8 years. Among the exhibitions on which he Worked were: Toulous lautrec, American Art in the 20th Century, Contemporary Graphics, Constructivism in 20th Century Art,etc. and many exhibits of leading Israeli artists.
1971-1975 Two Aeronautics Industries Exhibitions At The Paris Aerial Salon: transported to other countries
1970 - 2005 Yad Mordechai Museum. Participated in museum establishment team. . In 2003-2005: Museum upgrading – designed experiential displays.
1968 - 1970 - 1972 1968 – 1972 Israel Museum, Jerusalem: part of the establishment team,
1972 - Project manager for the Massada display in 4 halls.
1968 – 1976 Director of planning and chief designer in office of S. Grundman Ltd. Planned and directed various museums and exhibitions projects.
Dec. 1941 Born in Jerusalem, Israel.