Alima — Signed Limited-Edition Abstract Print, 1974
Three rounded forms in red, green and deep blue rise beneath a broad blue sky in this signed and numbered print by Alima. There’s a suggestion of rolling hills and an open horizon, although the landscape is reduced to a handful of shapes, with the overlapping colours giving the composition its depth and rhythm.
The generous areas of colour make it striking from across a room, while the gently curved edges soften its geometric structure. It’s a lovely balance of boldness and restraint, particularly suited to a space with warm timber, simple furniture and room for the artwork to stand out.
The lower margin bears the pencil signature “Alima 74” and numbering from an edition of 100.
For anyone drawn to twentieth-century abstraction, this print offers an engaging introduction to Alima’s work. Its appeal begins with the colour and composition, with plenty more to discover in the artist’s involvement in printmaking and the workshop culture around her.
It is presented in a walnut solid-wood frame with a generous mount and standard glass.
-
Known professionally as Alima, Rita Alima (1932–2013) was an Israeli painter and printmaker whose work explored the relationships between colour, shape and space. Born in Nesher, she studied at the Avni Institute in Tel Aviv before spending time in Paris and returning to Israel in 1965.
Printmaking became central to her practice during the 1970s, when she developed compositions distinguished by bright colours, geometric forms and a deliberately economical use of detail.
She worked in both screenprinting and lithography, attending the Burston Graphic Centre in Jerusalem and studying lithography at the Tamarind Institute in New Mexico.
Alongside making her own work, she directed the print workshop at the Artists’ House in Tel Aviv and taught printmaking, passing that technical knowledge on to other artists.
Her contribution is commemorated through the Alima Prize for the Art of Printmaking, established in her memory at the Mishkan Museum of Art in Ein Harod.
Her work is also represented in the British Museum’s collection, which includes a colour screenprint produced at Burston and dated to around 1974.
-
Established in Jerusalem in November 1974 under the auspices of the Israel Museum, the Burston Graphic Centre provided specialist facilities for artists working in print. It was one of the relatively few professionally equipped print workshops in Israel at the time.
Its history includes some fascinating artistic exchanges. The American artist Jim Dine spent part of 1979 working there, producing self-portraits and images of his familiar robe motif through combinations of etching, lithography and screenprinting. His work offers a glimpse of the experimentation taking place at the centre, where different printing methods could be brought together within a single image.
Alima was among the artists represented in Israeli Prints from the Burston Graphic Centre, held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in autumn 1981. Curated by Meira Perry-Lehmann, the exhibition brought the workshop’s output to a wider museum audience. Her exhibition history also includes the subsequent Burston presentation at London’s Barbican Centre in 1983.
There is a further British connection through the centre’s supporters, Neville and Marlene Burston. In 1993, they donated 173 prints made at the workshop to the British Museum, helping to establish a substantial record of its artists and their work in a UK public collection.
Piece details
Available- Artist
- Rita Alima (1932–2013)
- Origin
- Jerusalem
- Format
- Print, Vintage
- Era
- 1970s
- Dimensions (Unframed)
- Coming Soon
- Condition
- Patina consumerate with age
Add a custom mount (+£10)
This item currently has a standard white mount, but you can order colored mounts for an additional £10. For this piece, I would recommend a black mount or one that picks up one of the bold colors. This piece comes in an A1-size solid wood walnut frame with standard glass. For specialty framing, I can also recommend a local professional framer, and sell unframed at a discounted price.
How to buy this piece
All items are available in the showroom. You can either visit on Saturday during public opening hours, or book a private appointment here.