Israeli typographer Oded Ezer will teach at RISD

NEW YORK – Oded Ezer, 41, a critically acclaimed Israeli graphic artist and typographer, will bring his talents to the Rhode Island School of Design for a residency this upcoming fall semester, according to a press release from the Israel Institute.

At RISD,  Ezer will be teaching a course on typography. While in residence, Ezer will have two exhibitions that will feature his work – one at RISD and another at the Brown RISD Hillel gallery.
Ezer’s time at RISD is made possible by the Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artists Program, an initiative of the Israel Institute that brings Israeli artists, including filmmakers, choreographers, musicians, writers and visual artists, to residencies at top universities and other cultural organizations in North America. With a focus on fostering interaction between the artists and the communities in which they are based, the initiative intends to expose a broader audience to contemporary Israeli culture.

Ezer is one of 10 visiting artists who will be in residencies throughout the country as part of the program, founded in 2008 by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, part of the Schusterman Philanthropic Network.

Ezer studied graphic design at the Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem.

In 2000, he established his own independent studio, Oded Ezer Typography, where he creates stunning typographic and font designs. In 2004, Ezer founded Hebrew Typography, selling his own typefaces to leading media companies and design studios. His work is showcased and published worldwide and part of permanent collections in museums such as the New York Museum of Modern Art, the Israel Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Among his recent projects was the design for the “New American Hagaddah,” translated by Nathan Englander and edited by Jonathan Saftran Foer.

“What makes The Schusterman Visiting Israeli Artist Program so effective is that it allows members of the host community and the visiting artists to connect in a variety of settings – from formal to informal, Jewish to non-Jewish – over a significant period of time, rather than the more traditional one-off experience,” said Marge Goldwater, program director, in a release. “[The] success of the residencies has prompted host institutions to find ways to bring Israeli cultural leaders to their communities after the Schusterman artist has left.”

For more information about the visiting artist program, visit jewishculture.org/schusterman-visiting-artist-program/

For more information about the Israel Institute, visit israelinstitute.org.