Mati Basis was born in Tel Aviv in 1933, studied locally at the Avni Institute of Art and, after migrating to London, continued his art education at Hornsey School of Art and Chelsea Art College in the late 1960s. Primarily working in photomontage and photo-etching, Basis had his first show of prints in the UK at the Oxford Gallery in 1976, subsequently exhibiting in London with Annely Juda. In 1974 his work featured in the British International Print Biennale, Bradford.
Artist, Mati Basis, was born into a Jewish family in Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine (now Israel) in 1933. He studied at the Avni Institute of Art in Tel Aviv (1956–58) and held his first solo show of paintings in 1960 at the Tschemerinsky Art Gallery in Tel Aviv, marking the beginning of his professional career. After migrating to London in the mid-1960s, Basis continued his art education at both Hornsey School of Art and Chelsea Art College (1966–69).
Basis was a printmaker, photomontagist, and painter, primarily working in photomontage and photo-etching, art forms in which he demonstrated significant mastery and innovation. He also printed many editions of etchings for well-known and established artists, including Henry Moore and Arthur Boyd. In 1969, he participated in his first group exhibition in London at Annely Juda's gallery, a space founded by the émigré dealer and known for supporting avant-garde and émigré artists. His work was later selected for inclusion in the British International Print Biennale in Bradford, Yorkshire, in 1974. Basis’s first solo show of prints in the UK was presented at the Oxford Gallery in 1976, followed by a two-person show at Ben Uri Gallery the following year with photographer Dalia Amotz-Weislib. Among the works exhibited in this show was Reflection (1976, Ben Uri collection), an etching on paper that plays on the duality of the term ‘reflections,’ using repeated patterns and quiet repetitions to evoke both external mirroring and inner contemplation.
Barry Fealdman, who was Ben Uri's Secretary, as well as writing art criticism for the Jewish Chronicle, praised Basis's work, noting that the artist used photography as a crucial element in his etchings. Fealdman highlighted Basis's acute awareness of his environment and his ability to transform familiar countryside sights—such as trees, fields, and hedges—into powerful, self-expressive images. According to Fealdman, Basis’s technique and ‘organising powers’ were particularly impressive, creating images with immediate impact and fascinating perspectives (Fealdman 1977, p. 16). This show was followed by exhibitions at the Margaret Fisher Gallery in Hampstead in 1978 and at the National Theatre in 1982. Reviewing the latter, Fealdman emphasised Basis's mastery as a printmaker, describing his recent photo-etchings as possessing a magical quality that captured the inherent beauty of nature. Fealdman further praised Basis for rendering delicate effects in his images of trees and fields, showcasing ‘intriguing gradations of perspective’ (Fealdman 1982, p. 13). Basis’s contributions to art were recognised with several awards, including the 1965 Acquisition Prize from the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the 1966 America-Israel Cultural Foundation Sharett Scholarship for Advanced Studies Abroad, and first prize at the 1973 Print Exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum. Mati Basis died in London, England, on 14 June 2024. In the UK public domain, his work is held in the Ben Uri Collection.
Mati Basis in the Ben Uri collection
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Mati Basis]