Damian Tab
BornNovember 29, 1986
Buenos Aires, Argentina
DiedApril 8, 2022
EducationMilton High School, Design Department, Hacker-u
Years active2010–2022
Known forPainting, Sculpture, Printmaking, Spray Art, Applications, Video Games
SpouseMeirav Tabak

Biography

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Damian Tab (born November 29, 1986) was an Israeli artist, painter, game and application developer, and designer. He worked as a 3D animator but was best known for his numerous works seen in public spaces around Tel Aviv. After a long battle with cancer, Damian passed away in April 2022 at the age of 35.[1].

Damian was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and immigrated to Israel with his parents when he was one and a half years old. The family initially settled in Kibbutz Lahavot Habashan and later moved to Bat Yam. Damian studied at Ironi Telem High School in the Visual Communication Department. He served in the 202nd Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade (2005-2008) and participated in the Second Lebanon War during his service. After the army, he studied 3D animation at Hacker-u.

In October 2021, he married his long-time partner Merav Uljamperl[2].

Career

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From a young age, Damian was drawn to the world of creativity and art. As a child, he enjoyed drawing dinosaurs and aliens, sculpting papier-mâché and polymer clay figures, and as a teenager, he created funny animation clips about his family and friends. His street art career began when he moved to Tel Aviv in 2012. Initially, he created stencils at home and then ventured out at night to paste them on the city's streets. He later progressed to paper pasting and spray painting[3]. At the end of his experimentation process, he used brushes for contours and continued the work with spray.

Works

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The characters in most of Damian Tab's works are very dynamic, appearing as if frozen mid-motion. His world is surreal and imaginary, achieved in most of his works using only three colors[4]. Damian began creating after moving from Bat Yam to Tel Aviv. A significant portion of his works can be found on Yehuda Halevi Street, Nachalat Binyamin area, Florentin neighborhood, and more.

His YouTube channel features numerous videos showcasing different works: murals, animations, fake news, and more.

Damian worked in various mediums, including clay and plastic sculptures, 3D printing, and paintings in acrylic, spray, and watercolors. He developed a mobile app that brings his street art to life with 3D models, worked on video games, and even published one, SEED. He also created Instagram filters[5].

Exhibitions and Events

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Damian participated in numerous exhibitions and events over the years. Notable exhibitions include "The Seventh Floor" at the New Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv (2014), a solo exhibition at the "Tiny Tiny" gallery in Florentin (2014), a duo exhibition at the "Brown" Hotel in Tel Aviv (2014), and numerous group exhibitions such as "Art Bazaar" at the Jaffa Flea Market (2018) and the Illustration and Comics Festival in Nachalat Binyamin (2018). His works were also displayed in various pop-up museums, such as Tel Aviv Pop-Up Museum 1, 2, and 3 (2019-2021).

Legacy

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After his death, his widow, Merav Tabak, established the brand "House of Damian Tab" to ensure that his works continue to live on after his passing.

Posthumous Exhibitions

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  • August 2022: A memorial exhibition for Damian Tabak, Marom Capital, Tel Aviv. The exhibition included fundraising for the "Enough Cancer" association, which Damian was a member of[6]
  • December 2022: Public Domain: The Negev Museum of Art, Be'er Sheva.

Exhibitions and Events During His Life

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  • September 2014: "The Seventh Floor" - International permanent mural exhibition on the walls of the seventh floor at the New Central Bus Station, Tel Aviv.
  • July 2014: Solo exhibition at the "Tiny Tiny" gallery, Florentin, Tel Aviv.
  • August 2014: Duo exhibition at the "Brown" Hotel, Tel Aviv.
  • September 2015: Group art exhibition on records at the "B-Side" record store, Florentin, Tel Aviv.
  • November 2015: Duo exhibition at the "Florentin Quartet" complex.
  • May 2016: Group permanent painting exhibition project at the "NYX" Hotel of "Fattal".
  • June 2017: Painting at a street art event as part of White Night, Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian mall, Tel Aviv.
  • January 2018: "Fanzines" Festival, Central Station, Tel Aviv.
  • March 2018: Group exhibition "Art Bazaar", Jaffa Flea Market.
  • April 2018: Illustration and Comics Festival, Nachalat Binyamin, Tel Aviv.
  • April 2018: Participation in the "Painting Ra'anana" project.
  • June 2018: Group stencil exhibition and live painting, "Bascula", Tel Aviv.
  • August 2018: Group exhibition "Agnes" pub, Levinsky, Tel Aviv.
  • October 2018: Group exhibition as part of "Loving Art Doing Art" festival by the Tel Aviv Municipality, Hagra, Tel Aviv.
  • April 2019: "Tel Aviv Pop-Up Museum 1" urban art exhibition in a building slated for demolition, Tel Aviv.
  • October 2019: "Ra'anana Graffiti Pop-Up" urban art exhibition and competition in a building slated for demolition, winning first prize, Ra'anana.
  • December 2019: Group exhibition on augmented reality, an exhibition that included works with 3D simulations in an app developed by Damian.
  • December 2019: Group street artists exhibition, "Spot" Hotel, Tel Aviv Port.
  • January 2020: "Tel Aviv Pop-Up Museum 2" urban art exhibition in a building slated for demolition, Tel Aviv.
  • March 2021: Group sculptural exhibition, "Knafa'im" gallery, Jaffa.
  • February 2022: Tel Aviv Pop-Up Museum 3 urban art exhibition in a building slated for demolition, Tel Aviv.
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  1. ^ אלבז-אלוש, קורין (11 August 2022). "Memorial Exhibition for the Artist Who Decorated Tel Aviv: "Before the Body of Work Becomes an Archive"". Ynet. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Damian Tab - A Fictional World on the City Walls". Dina Segev. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Dror Hadadi's Blog". Dror Hadadi. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  4. ^ "2018 Streetartneyc International Street Art Blog". Streetartnyc. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  5. ^ "The Wanderer". Elisheva Notes. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Article about the "Public Domain" Exhibition". Negev Museum. Retrieved 14 August 2024.