Uri Averbuch, born July 5, 1971, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
He drew before he spoke. At the age of five, he immigrated to Israel, yet his drawings were not allowed to leave the former U.S.S.R.
Upon arrival to Israel, the harsh reality of immigrant life coupled with the language barrier caused him to rely on his ability to communicate through images and he began to keep visual diaries of his new world.
At the age of twelve, Uri began his formal studies at the Haifa Museum of Art, where he learned the art of print making: etching, lithography, wood & linoleum cutting & stone printing.
At fifteen he attended a high school dedicated to the arts. There he explored fashion design, plastic arts, sculpture and ceramics.
In November 1989, Uri was recruited into the Israeli army as a paramedic in the 177th artillery division. During the last 6 months of his service he was assigned to paint large murals at different military headquarters throughout the country.
After the army, Uri left Israel to find inspiration in Paris. He quickly found a job painting murals for X-Nostromo, a special events firm that produced raves.
Once back in Israel, an old friend introduced him to Menachem Mizrachi, an established painter who became his mentor.
In 1997 he immigrated to Los-Angeles ,California, where he painted, drew and produced a series of unique prints with Richard S. Duardo, one of the most respected print artists in the country. Worked as a “Storyboard Artist” and a “Graphic Designer”
In 2003 Uri moved to Baja California, Mexico where he resides and paints in an off the grid property surrounded by ocean & mountains. It is here that he met his Wife, Mercedes Armendariz and found his new inspiration. In addition to his art he currently works with local communities developing ecological projects and sanctuaries.
Giacometti and Egon Schiele influenced Uri’s drawing techniques, but it was Kandinsky who inspired him to paint. “The relationship between the lines and the colors in Kandinsky’s work triggered in me a quality of freedom, that allowed me to master a determination of line which helps me to define the shape when I am painting. Color defines the composition and the mood.”
“Everything is one. I am influenced by natural and anatomic forms –how the space defines the shape and vice-versa – unity, all forms connected to one shape – as in the human body. The details revel new forms with their own story – painting the story inside the story. Our perspective has evolved. We can contain much more information, the awareness of the big picture and the small picture simultaneously. My goal is to reveal a process that inspires people to recognize the creator in themselves.”