Capturing Tel Aviv: Oksana Many Turns Buildings into Art
- Caroline Haïat
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Far from the typical tourist clichés, the young Russian-born entrepreneur Oksana Many, married to renowned Israeli photographer Or Many, launched an exciting initiative that blends art and architecture. In 2023, when the war in Israel paused most city projects, her idea began to take shape: “This is Tel Aviv.” Walking through the streets of Tel Aviv—slowed down by the conflict, without the usual hustle of the crowds—Oksana had the chance to truly observe the structure of the buildings. She realized she could leverage this fresh, outsider’s perspective to create wooden pieces representing individual buildings or landmarks from the city, based on her photographs. Oksana : the artist who puts architecture at the center of her lens.
Originally from Moscow and of Christian faith, Oksana had only heard of Israel through the media, “like everyone else,” but had never visited. She studied economics and management at university in Russia and worked in fashion and retail for major brands such as Victoria’s Secret, H&M, and Adidas. Everything changed with an unexpected encounter: meeting her future husband during one of his professional trips to Moscow. The connection was instant, and they married in Georgia. Oksana then moved to Tel Aviv and fell deeply in love with the city’s unique energy.
A New Perspective on the City
“My great-grandfather visited the holy sites in Israel, and every time I go to Jaffa or Hatahana Park in southern Tel Aviv, I feel something special, as if I am walking in his footsteps,” Oksana recounts.
“As I explored the city, I began taking beautiful photographs and sensing its atmosphere—and the magic happened very quickly. I realized I needed to convey the visual language that was so different from where I grew up,” she continues.
With her husband, Oksana set up a printing workshop that allows her to create unique wooden pieces from the photos she takes while wandering Tel Aviv’s streets.
“I immediately noticed the similarity between certain buildings and I especially discovered the Bauhaus movement, which was so appreciated around the world. I started by selecting certain buildings and combining them together, using the pieces I had created to shape a kind of model,” explains Oksana.
Her technique is simple but ingenious. She begins by photographing a building, then on a computer, arranges several buildings to create a coherent ensemble. Each building is vectorized via a specific application, which generates the file that the laser machine uses to cut the wood precisely.
The wood is then coated with a special layer that allows the image to be printed using a heat press. At this stage, the ink from the paper is transferred and sublimated into the coating, forming a faithful and durable reproduction of the image on the wood.
More than 1.000 pieces
Thus, Oksana has given birth to thousands of pieces. And the opportunities are plentiful. She creates endlessly. Thanks to her immense talent and her astonishing dynamism, Oksana has managed to secure a prominent place in a difficult field. She now runs with an iron hand a real business that oscillates between custom orders, international requests, and projects for real estate companies.
Some even order pieces to give residents a unique souvenir, such as a before-and-after of the building in which they live or have lived. Oksana also has the pleasure of collaborating with the Bauhaus Center as well as several tourist centers and receiving orders from all over the world thanks to her YouTube channel and her website.
“When I am outside, if I notice an interesting building, I photograph it. Then I bring the photos home. Most of the time, I have several shots, so I can play with the content I have. It is not always a success: sometimes I have buildings in mind but cannot harmonize them, so I set them aside until I find the right combination,” Oksana says.
Oksana likes to show the city in a way that is a bit more flattering than reality. She arranges “what she does not like” while keeping the authenticity of the constructions. The young woman admits that she is aware that her art is an enhanced vision of reality, showing both residents and outsiders her Tel Aviv.
“I know that some consider art to be ‘raw.’ But I believe you can play with its different palettes because you are an artist and you exhibit your own vision. But I remain close to reality, because I know people are not fooled, especially locals. It is a compromise between reality and my artistic vision,” Oksana affirms.
Her favorite? Dizengoff Square particularly struck her: surrounded by beautiful white Bauhaus buildings with wavy lines, she still noticed imperfect details, uneven paint, and traces of time. The piece Oksana created, entitled Not Fancy but Cute, reflects the streets she explored during her first walks, notably Marmorek Street, near Habima and King George Street. It was in this neighborhood that inspiration was born. Oksana also chose to keep certain ordinary elements of the urban landscape in her work, such as a trash bin, which she considers fully part of the city’s authentic charm.
The young woman has no intention of stopping there. She plans to expand her creations to other cities, including Jerusalem, with the Western Wall, as well as Haifa. This expansion is inspired by the feedback she receives, which encourages her to continue in this direction.
“The reactions touch me deeply. Some people tell me they own several of my pieces at home and that they have become part of their decor. This moves me because the appreciation is different from what I knew in my previous career. It is profoundly moving, especially coming from locals,” she affirms.
To conclude, Oksana recalls the importance of supporting small businesses, whatever they may be, quoting a phrase a rabbi told her that made her reflect: “We are going through difficult times, the war is not over. What are you doing to support small businesses? Even if your income is limited, every purchase counts. Going to the café, buying some vegetables, supporting your local shop, it is essential. Local support is vital, even if art may seem secondary today,” she concluded.
You Tube : https://youtube.com/@this.is.telaviv
Caroline Haïat
Comments