Royi Akavia
A native of Israel, Royi's obsession with MONEY is the result of him losing all his worldy possessions in a fire with the exception of a one hundred dollar bill which he used to buy food and shelter. Today Royi creates art with paper MONEY seeing it as more than a commodity. He buys paper MONEY from all over the world and uses it to produce new images and address the many issues associated with MONEY. The series of works that he calls 'Faces that make MONEY' combines a collage of real MONEY with painting, drawing and layers of varnish. On top of the collage he paints in oil the realistic portraits of contemporary people or outlines of their form. When the layering of MONEY and painting is complete the work is burned with fire to create a glasslike surface reminiscent of old-world craftsmanship. As he burns the final arrangement, the fire destroys the MONEY and at the same time assists in the creation of art with its own monetary value. The process is slow, methodical and carefully calculated at every stage for its aesthetic as well as conceptual significance.