About Chomi Gruman

Painter of memory, place, and tradition

Chomi Gruman is an Israeli realist painter and art educator. She frequently explores Israeli and Jewish themes in her work—painting still life, traditions, family moments, and landscapes close to her heart.

✦ [שילוב תמונה #1 – דיוקן שלך בסטודיו או בסביבת עבודה]

She works with oil and watercolor using classical realist techniques inspired by the old masters—from Renaissance Europe to 19th-century America. Painting has been her passion since childhood, and over the years it has become part of her identity.

A Jerusalem Childhood

Chomi was born in 1981 in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem, into an ultra-Orthodox family. At age 10, in a rare move for the time and place, her parents signed her up for painting classes. She decorated her friends' notebooks in school and painted hand-made signs for her synagogue. This early recognition of talent lit the path for her lifelong connection to art.

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After marrying and becoming a mother, she supported her family by teaching kindergarten and hand-painting Purim costumes.

A Journey of Growth

At age 35, Chomi made a life-changing decision: she left the ultra-Orthodox community and moved to the U.S. There, she focused on professional development—studying techniques, refining her skill, and building an artistic voice rooted in tradition but open to personal expression.

After returning to Israel, she settled in Mazkeret Batya and studied at the Avni Institute and the Open University. With mentorship from artist Gustavo Barr Valenzuela, she mastered traditional techniques and continues to study with him to this day.

✦ [שילוב תמונה #3 – את בתהליך ציור / שולחן עבודה עם סקיצות וציוד]

The Heart of Her Work

At every stage of her life, painting remained her anchor. Through classical methods and patient layering, she expresses her inner order and outer world. And though precision is key, in the final stages of a work, she allows herself spontaneity—leaving brushstrokes visible, splashing paint, or leaving parts unfinished.

✦ [שילוב תמונה #4 – יצירה גמורה עם חלקים "לא גמורים" / ציור עם מרקם חופשי]

Teaching & Creating in Israel

Today, Chomi paints in her studio in Mazkeret Batya and teaches students of all ages at Yad Harif Art Centre, Eshkol HaPais Gezer, and Tal Shachar. Her paintings are available for purchase, and she accepts commissions based on photographs.

✦ [שילוב תמונה #5 – צילום מהכיתה עם תלמידים או סדנה, אם יש]