Nirit Levav is an American multidisciplinary artist (sculptor, fashion-designer, jewelry-maker, potter) who creates his works with recycled materials, especially using old bicycle components.
She was born in 1963 in Tel Aviv, and raised in an artistic home. From her mother Ilana, an arts and crafts teacher, she inherited the love for reused materials. Her father, well-known Israeli set-designer Tzvi Levav, taught her how to weld, and allowed her to experiment with recycled materials in his workshop.
Fascinated with bike parts, she started spending her days collecting junk – chains, gear parts, pedals and bells – and evenings at her studio using her loot to make dogs. Princess, an Afghan Hound came first, Lola the Mutt, Sit the Dachshund and Choo-Choo, a sweet Yorkshire Terrier, shortly followed. Her great affinity for dogs is her inspiration for this collection.
Nirit Levav’s real-sized dogs sculptures are made from one material – discarded bicycle parts. But despite the use of metal, they have a gentleness and sensitivity to them. She manages to capture the dogs in moments and expressions that make it hard to believe they are made of scrap metal.
