Artist · Designer · Visionary

Art that carriesa nation's identity

Asher Kalderon
1929 – 2018 · Tel Aviv, Israel

One of Israel's most distinguished graphic designers and visual artists — a career spanning six decades of cultural, national and artistic creation that shaped Israel's visual identity.

60+
Years of Practice
From the 1950s through 2018 — one of the longest careers in Israeli design history
60+
Israeli Postage Stamps
Plus commemorative coins, medals and stamps for the United Nations Postal Administration
Asher Kalderon
1929 — 2018
"One of Israel's most distinguished graphic designers — a career that shaped a nation's visual identity."
60+
Years of Practice
60+
Israeli Stamps
100+
Awards
Origins

From Bulgariato Bezalel

Born in Bulgaria in 1929, Asher Kalderon began his studies in design but interrupted them in 1948 to emigrate to Israel — as part of Youth Aliyah, the resettlement of young European Jews to Mandate Palestine.

After settling initially at Kibbutz Beit Alpha, he enrolled at the Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem — the country's most prestigious art institution — where he developed his unique synthesis of European graphic tradition and Jewish cultural heritage.

In 1956 he participated in a landmark six-week course in stamp design led by the legendary British graphic designer Abram Games at Bezalel — an experience that launched his long collaboration with the Israeli postal service.

1929
Born in Bulgaria
1948
Emigrated to Israel — Youth Aliyah
1956
Stamp design course with Abram Games, Bezalel
1964
First major stamp series — Israel's 16th Independence Day
1977
First solo exhibition — Panama City
1985
Designed the 10 NIS Golda Meir banknote
2005
Completed the New Passover Haggadah — life's masterwork
2018
Passed away, October 31 — Tel Aviv
✦
"His stamps became
part of Israel's
visual memory"
Philatelic Legacy

Stamps, Coins& Currency

Over several decades, Kalderon designed more than 60 postage stamps for the Israeli postal service — among the most recognizable works in the country's philatelic history. His designs covered science, biblical history, the military, Jewish holidays and state milestones.

He also designed stamps for the United Nations Postal Administration, giving his work an international dimension rare among Israeli designers.

In 1985, he designed the 10 NIS banknote commemorating Prime Minister Golda Meir — one of the most circulated pieces of Israeli currency of its era. His work also extended to commemorative coins and medals for state institutions.

Art Practice

Painting, Tapestries& Sculpture

Alongside his graphic design work, Kalderon maintained an active fine art practice — painting, tapestry design and three-dimensional sculpture. His wife Lea collaborated in executing his tapestry designs, transforming them into superior textile wall hangings made by professional workshops in Israel.

His art drew deeply from Jewish tradition and biblical narrative — the Creation, the Exodus, Jerusalem, the Matriarchs — presenting ancient subjects in a bold, modern visual language. Works were commissioned by private collectors, synagogues and institutional clients worldwide.

He worked closely with architects and interior designers, creating art for specific spaces — from private homes to hotel lobbies and corporate offices.

200+
Artworks
40+
Tapestries
100+
Posters
3
Haggadah Editions
The New Passover Haggadah — Asher Kalderon
The New Passover Haggadah
3 Limited Editions · 2005
Life's Masterwork

The New PassoverHaggadah

Completed in 2005, the New Passover Haggadah represents Kalderon's most ambitious creation — a fully illustrated art book featuring 58 original illustrations telling the story of the Exodus in vibrant, expressive color.

Published in Hebrew and English across three limited editions — from an unsigned first print of 1,000 copies to a signed, numbered collector's edition and a deluxe King Size format — the Haggadah was awarded the Israeli Ministry of Culture and Education Prize for Creators of Jewish Culture.

The Deluxe Collector's Edition was exhibited at the Tel Aviv Museum. The book is held in the Judaica collections of the Library of Congress, Yale University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York.

Recognition

Awards & Honours

National Awards
Ministry of Culture & Education PrizeCreators of Jewish Culture — for the Artistic Passover Haggadah
First Prizes — Stamp DesignMultiple national competitions for the Israeli Postal Service
First Prizes — Coin & Medal DesignNational competitions for the Bank of Israel
First Prizes — Symbol DesignNational competitions for Israeli institutions
International Awards
Distinguished Leadership AwardAmerican Biographical Institute
International Poster PrizesWarsaw Poster Biennale, Helsinki International Poster Biennale
UN Postal DesignCommissioned by the United Nations Postal Administration for international stamps
Frankfurt Book FairSolo exhibitions, 1985 and 1999
Published In
Israel Philatelic BulletinFeatured designer across multiple editions
International Design AnnualsEurope and USA — graphic design and poster publications
Judaica Reference LibrariesWorks documented in Library of Congress and Yale Judaica collections
Collections

Works Held inPublic Collections

Library of Congress
Washington D.C., USA · Judaica Collection
Yale University Library
New Haven, USA · Judaica Collection
Jewish Theological Seminary
New York, USA · Judaica Collection
Hebrew Union College Library
Cincinnati, USA · Judaica Collection
Israel Museum
Jerusalem, Israel
Herzliya Municipal Museum
Herzliya, Israel
Poster Museum
Warsaw, Poland
Museum of Modern Art
New Orleans, USA · Poster Collection
Lathi Museum
Lathi, Finland · Poster Collection
Von Oertzen Gallery
Frankfurt, Germany
O'Grady Gallery
Chicago, USA
La Licorn Tapestry Gallery
Chicago, USA
Temple Emanu-El of Greater Miami
Miami, USA
Flight Authorities of Israel
Lod, Israel · Tapestries Collection
Solo Exhibitions

Exhibition History

1977
Jewish Community Center, Panama City, Panama
1978
O'Grady Gallery, Chicago, USA
1980
Ramat Gan Museum, Israel
1981
Herzliya Museum, Israel
1985
Frankfurt Book Fair, Germany
1985
Israel Journalist's House, Tel Aviv
1987
Von Oertzen Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
1988
Stuttgart & Municipal Galleries, Germany
1990
Goren College for Art & Design, Israel
1999
Frankfurt Book Fair, Germany
Group Exhibitions
1953
Tel Aviv Museum, Israel
1964
Philatec, Paris, France
1966
Graphic Design in Israel, London, England
1985
Posters from Israel, City Museum, Berlin, Germany
1986
Expressions of Peace, Poster Exhibition, Israel
1989
Jerusalem 3000 Years, City Hall Gallery, Jerusalem
1996
Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Poland
1996
Contemporary Art Museum, New Orleans, USA
1997
International Poster Biennale, Helsinki, Finland
2008
Jewish Theological Seminary Library, New York, USA

Licensing &
Acquisitions

All works are available for licensing for any purpose — print, digital, institutional or commercial. Contact to discuss acquisition options and pricing.

Address
8 Kehilat Budapest St., Tel Aviv 69701, Israel
Phone
+972 54 246 6323
Email
[email protected]
Licensing
A&L Kalderon