Wass Rivka

Article by Francis Racine
Le Journal Cornwall
12 October 2016

Rivka Waas is a self-proclaimed ball of energy. As she sits in Le Centre culturel
de Cornwall, the woman can't help but utter a hearty laugh. "I'm sorry if I talk too much," she explains. But being a socialite is a great asset for Waas.
Her adventure starts continents away, in the centre of the Middle East. Waas hails from Israel, a home she has never truly left.
"I always have Israel close to my heart," she admitted as she shows off a necklace
she wears.
The piece of jewelry, made of what appears to be a silver colored metal, is made
up of two parts.
One is the iconic Star of David while the other is in the shape of the Jewish state.
But the interesting aspect of the necklace isn't what it is. It's what it once was. "I bought
it off the Internet," she said. "The artist who made it lives close to Gaza, you know, where there are a lot of rockets."
It turns out what she's wearing around her neck is actually made from rubble where a rocket exploded.
It's therefore no wonder that the woman, herself an artist, incorporates much of her homeland in her abstract paintings.
"Some of my works are dark," she highlighted, as she walked through the
Corrid'art, a long hallway converted into an art gallery, "It speaks of Israel we all know that it's not always peaceful there."
In total, 74 of Waas' work will be showcased at the Corrid'art.
"It's the first time I showcase my art in Cornwall,"' she explained.
The woman's artwork started in 1999 with the study of watercolor and mixed media techniques. Since then, she found acrylic to be more suitable for her purposes and decided to master the technique.
Through the years, Waas associated with several art groups as she finds the relationship with other artists to be very valuable.
"It's the connection and the exchanges of ideas that make an artist evolve,' she said.
Her art work has been exhibited in several galleries, such as in Merrickville,
Perth, Ottawa. Smith Falls, Almonte, Karleton Place and Nepean.
For Waas, painting is the most natural way to express herself.
I get my inspiration from the heart," she explained.