Who Is Orna Ben-Shoshan and What Is Her Background?

Orna Ben-Shoshan is a self-taught artist who has been painting for roughly 30 years, with work exhibited in the United States, Europe, and Israel. Her background combines a long independent studio practice with a sustained personal study of metaphysics, mysticism, and the Kabbalah. If you are trying to place her work — visionary, surreal, spiritual, often laced with subtle humour — her biography explains much of it: the paintings come out of an inner, meditative process rather than an academic art training.

A self-taught artist, 30 years in

The site describes her as an "autodidact artist for the past 30 years." That means no formal art-school lineage shapes the work; her development has come from continuous painting and from the ideas she pursues outside art. The practical result is a body of work that reads as highly personal and symbolically dense rather than tied to a recognised movement or school.

Where her work has been shown

Her paintings have been exhibited in numerous locations across:

• The United States
• Europe
• Israel

This is the extent of the exhibition record given on the site — it does not list specific galleries, cities, or dates, so treat the geographic spread as the reliable detail rather than any particular venue.

The ideas behind the paintings

Ben-Shoshan's lifelong interest in metaphysics and mysticism led her to study the Kabbalah and alternative philosophies. She has shared that knowledge in articles and short essays published in magazines worldwide, often alongside reproductions of her paintings. Her stated motivation as a visual artist is to share her visions with others — to expand their consciousness and inspire new ways of thinking.

How she describes her own process

According to the site, her method is unusual in one respect: all of her paintings are completed in her mind before she transfers them onto the canvas. She describes the work as opening her consciousness and channelling images that arrive from a different realm of existence. The site frames the outcome this way: having one of her paintings on your wall is like having a window to another dimension.

Whether or not you share that metaphysical framing, it tells you what to expect from the work — visionary and surreal imagery, spiritual weight, and a deliberate thread of humour running through it.

Beyond the canvas

Her writing and painting are not separate activities; the essays on metaphysics and mysticism circulate together with the artwork. She has also released an artist's book, available on Amazon in hardcover (90 pages, large format) and as a Kindle edition — a useful entry point if you want the ideas and the images in one place rather than browsing individual works.

What this means if you are new to her work

• If you want the ideas first: start with her essays and the artist's book, since the philosophy is inseparable from the imagery.
• If you want the images first: look at the gallery sections of her site, keeping in mind that the paintings are meant to be read symbolically rather than literally.
• If you are considering a purchase: the site references purchasing, but no prices, payment platforms, or shipping terms are stated on the page — check directly with the site or the Amazon listing for current availability and cost.