From Mea Shearim to the World’s Leading Galleries: The Artist Whose Painting Is Valued at $1.2 Million

Ahava (Huvy) Elisha was born in Jerusalem’s Bukharim quarter and embarked on a journey that spanned the world in every sense — before returning to a modest apartment in Mea Shearim. Marking a year since her passing, an exhibition of her paintings has opened, as her grandson recalls the Haredi woman who sold artworks for hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet chose to live with simplicity and joy.

Her paintings, valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars and more, have been displayed in prestigious galleries — yet Ahava (Huvy) Elisha always remained a Haredi woman, a devoted Breslov Hasid, who never forgot her roots in Jerusalem. Born in the Bukharim quarter, she embarked on a journey that spanned the world in every sense, only to return to Mea Shearim — the neighborhood that filled her and her art with joy, and where she lived until her passing at the age of 94

About a week ago, marking a year since her passing, a new exhibition — Jerusalem of the Heart — opened in the gallery established by the children of Ahava (Huvy) Elisha during her lifetime. ‘She was a very joyful woman, and that is why she loved to paint joy,’ her grandson, Yishai Elisha, told Ynet. ‘All of her art revolved around the feeling of joy, of dance, of Jewish life. That is also why she loved living in Mea Shearim, even though she had come from London. To her, Mea Shearim embodied that true, pure joy. She chose to live there because she loved the authentic happiness that bursts forth from every corner.

In Mea Shearim, she settled near the street where her childhood home once stood — and Elisha’s profoundly Jewish paintings are still sold worldwide, ‘even in Muslim Indonesia,’ her grandson notes. ‘Grandmother sat in a modest studio in the heart of Mea Shearim, yet with her art she reached the entire world.

The value of one of her paintings, The Spies, is currently estimated at $1.2 million. The work was prominently displayed for many years at the United States Embassy, until former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman returned it following the artist’s passing. ‘The entire theme of returning to the Land of Israel reflects her profound emotions toward the land,’ adds Elisha

Joy Despite Sorrow
Ahava (Huvy) was born in Jerusalem’s Bukharim quarter to a family of Bukharan rabbis. Due to her father’s work, the family moved to Europe when Huvy was six — first to Austria, then to Prague, and later to London. The outbreak of World War II and the Blitz eventually drove them further west, to Devonshire in southwest England. Her grandson recalls that these wanderings left a profound mark on Elisha’s art, shaping her identity as a devout Jewish woman

One of the young girl’s teachers noticed her talent and encouraged her to continue painting, eventually helping her gain admission to the prestigious Central Saint Martin’s School of Art and Design in London. There she was first exposed to the Impressionist, Realist, and Post-Impressionist movements. At only 14 years old, Elisha became the youngest student ever accepted, yet she would not launch her professional career as a painter until the age of 35.

After her marriage, Elisha lived in London and gave birth to four children (one of her daughters passed away at the age of two). She later returned to Israel, residing in Herzliya, yet always carried within her a longing to return home — to Jerusalem. In 1968, she moved with her entire family to Israel, settling in a modest apartment in Mea Shearim, from where she continued to paint well into her nineties.

Elisha’s impressionist art is deeply shaped by her unique and inspiring life story. It is no coincidence that this woman — whose paintings have fetched six-figure sums at auction — is regarded as one of the most successful Haredi artists in history, if not the most successful. Those who knew her speak of a simple and modest woman, whose colorful paintings radiated joy that masked the sorrow carried from war, the trauma of the Blitz, and the grief of personal loss.

Huvy’s Gallery in Jerusalem was founded by her grandchildren more than 35 years ago. Alongside her beautiful landscapes, some of her most moving works focus on celebrating Jewish life — from weddings to vibrant street scenes of the Jerusalem she loved. The exhibition Jerusalem of the Heart is now on display at Huvy’s Gallery, 22 King David Street, Jerusalem.

source: YNET