About Anat Tarshish Gonen
Anat Tarshish Gonen is a painter, art workshop facilitator, sports instructor, and community entrepreneur.
Over the years, she has brought together art, people, and the spaces in which everyday life unfolds.
Thirty years ago, she began bringing art into public and community spaces and clinics across Israel. Time and again, she heard the same response: “You bring light to this place.”
For Anat, creating art is an experience of inner connection — a place of calm, safety, and optimism. Over time, she came to understand that the feelings she experiences while creating find their way onto the canvas through color, movement, and light.
People who have purchased her work describe a connection that lasts for years: a painting that becomes part of their home, accompanies their daily lives, and brings a sense of peace and calm.
Recognizing that art can transform the atmosphere of a space, touch people, and stay with them became a source of inspiration to keep creating. Over the years, she has initiated and created murals, paintings on canvas, painted fiberglass globes, and set designs. She later expanded her practice to include art workshops and classes.
Nature and landscapes are a significant source of inspiration in her work. Through observation and experimentation, she has developed a painterly world where color, movement, and stillness meet — a personal language connected to the heart and soul.
Anat’s art explores inner light, hope, optimism, balance, and the relationship between people, their inner selves, and their surroundings.
For years, she has explored the connections between symbols and images she perceived in a candle burning in her home — insights that continue to accompany her personal development, growth, and expanding awareness.
“Every work of art is another way to bring color, life, and light to a space.”
“Every point of light dispels so much darkness.”
The Light Within Me
Twenty years have passed since September 2006, when I held my exhibition, “A Women’s Circle Around the World,” in Old Jaffa.
This is the story of a candle that burned in my home and changed its shape. As I watched it, a message emerged:
“The gates of heaven have opened to bring forth stories of courage.”
These extraordinary words sparked a dialogue that has continued for many years.
Looking closely at the candle, I sensed figures gathered in a circle around a fire.
The message and the imagery resonated deeply within me, opening a window onto a search for meaning. So much remained hidden. I felt a powerful desire to understand something that seemed so impossible, yet felt so compelling.
Through this process, I discovered meanings that felt entirely new at the time — and perhaps also profoundly ancient.
A message both personal and collective.
As these insights unfolded, connections began to emerge.
Fire — man — woman.
In Hebrew: esh — ish — isha.
Similarities and differences in their qualities took visual form as I explored the meaning of the figures in the candle.
I came to understand that a fire that burns does not solve problems. Yet discovering that a great light can help us see our lives differently is a profound gift.
With understanding and intention, we can learn to use our fire, our light, in the right measure.
Our lives are a journey, a path where past and present meet.
What connects the figures in biblical stories with our lives here and now?
We come to understand that their courage lay in believing in themselves, in their path, and in their sense of purpose — listening to their inner voice and trusting that their path was right.
Today, both the words and the connection are much clearer to me.
Why are we here? What makes each of us unique? What role do we bring with us? What is our path, and what is our purpose?
We can deepen and refine our inner work, giving our lives greater meaning.
Recognizing our positive qualities and remaining true to ourselves can help us find peace and calm within — no easy task, but a possible one. This is a responsibility we hold toward ourselves.
How much lies within our power to choose? Look at the photograph from the exhibition.
When we follow the path that is right for us, strength and light accompany us.
My artworks are part of that journey — part of the understanding that light can also reach us through art.
“Wholeness brings peace” — a daily reminder.
And a word of gratitude: a small addition that stays with us.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I have shared.
Winds of Peace, 2025
“Winds of Peace” was created during a time of challenge and uncertainty. Through layers of color, a glimpse of sky, and olive branches, it expresses a longing for inner peace and human connection.
Each patch of color retains its own character and presence, gradually intertwining with the others to form a balanced, harmonious whole. For me, this is a visual expression of the hope for a society in which each person’s individuality exists as part of a greater whole.
Art is my path and my lifelong journey. Through color and brushwork, visual beauty, emotion, and meaning come together. I invite viewers to pause, feel, and discover something new within the painting each time they return to it.
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Anat Tarshish Gonen is a painter, art workshop facilitator, sports instructor, and social activist. She combines extensive community involvement with visual art. Her work focuses on making art accessible in public spaces and leading projects with a strong community connection. She exhibits in solo and group exhibitions in Israel.
Throughout the years, her path has been guided by a deep commitment to her individuality and inner world. Her art brings together nature, landscapes, and abstraction.
Gonen seeks to inspire hope, balance, and human connection.
She sees color as a medium whose elements must coexist harmoniously on the canvas, reflecting her belief that humanity and nature are one. Placed within a space, her work invites viewers to pause, imagine, and experience. Color offers them a sense of calm and an opportunity to discover their own unique light. Her practice is driven by the belief that even a little light dispels darkness.
“Winds of Peace” was created during a time of challenge and uncertainty. Through layers of color, a glimpse of sky, and olive branches, it expresses a longing for peace, inner calm, and human connection.
Distinct patches of color — each retaining its own unique character and presence — gradually intertwine to form a balanced, harmonious whole, serving as a visual metaphor for a profound hope for human society.