Siona Shimshi was a multi-disciplinary artist and designer who worked with many materials including clay, textiles, carpets, stage scenery and more. Along with her extensive art practice (she exhibited in many group and solo exhibitions in Israel and abroad) she was a designer who cooperated with designers, factories and architects from different fields. In the 60’s and 70’s of the previous century she designed textiles for Maskit and the fashion designer Roji Ben Yosef.
In a way Shimshi was the successor of Itche Mambush, Aharon Kahana and Hava Samuel, in that she had the foresight to connect art and design and implemented this approach in the academic program as head of the ceramic design department (today the Department of Ceramic and Glass Design) at Bezalel, the Academy of Design and Art, Jerusalem (1979 – 1988). Once she completed her position as head of the department at Bezalel she joined the Interior Design department at the College of Management Academic Studies. She understood the huge potential in the connection between ceramics and architecture, and as a result, in the 90’s, she initiated in the College a materials library and pioneering technology for that time with the emphasis on the connection between ceramic design, ceramic wall cladding and architecture.
Siona Shimshi had a deep understanding of the value of the contribution made by the local ceramic industry to Israeli culture. As a designer she developed special patterns for the Lapid factory in the 80’s and was a designer for the tile factory Negev Ceramics (1983 – 1991). Shimshi was also one of the only voices in the art and design field who tried to raise awareness of the public of the problem of closing local ceramic factories in an open letter she wrote to Beni Gaon, the CEO of Kur at the time, which was published in the Haaretz newspaper in September 1990.
Shimshi designed hotels including carpet, ceramic wall murals and textiles (for the Hilton Hotel, Jerusalem, Daniel and Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv). She also designed public spaces such as the lobby of the Carmel Hospital in Tirat Hacarmel, and the wall of the synagogue in Yehushua Ben Nun Street in Tel Aviv, as well as works in the public space such as the group of sculptures in Kugel Boulevard, Holon and Azorei Chen in Tel Aviv.
