Siman Tov is a descendant of an extended family whose history dates back to the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. Some of his family members reached Israel from Yugoslavia and Kurdistan over 150 years ago.

 

Ronen Siman Tov grew up in the Beit HaKerem neighborhood of Jerusalem, surrounded by a landscape of wide open fields, hills and rocks. These landscapes were for him the natural playground.

 

Ronen’s father was a bus driver who sometimes took his son along for long journeys on the road. Ronen would sit beside his father on a slightly-elevated chair and watch the changing landscape as they drove by it. For Ronen, these memories constitute the source and inspiration of fruitful creation to this very day.

 

In 1975, Siman Tov was selected to participate in a student exchange delegation to the Europe. Within this framework he traveled to Berlin, a trip that left a significant impact on him and planted the seed that encouraged him to travel more throughout Western Europe. While on these travels, he decided to enroll to an architecture school in the Netherlands (1983).

 

One of the core subjects that are mandatory for first year students of architecture is a drawing class – which Ronen failed 4 times. This failure drove him to make a decision that sketching was his life calling. And indeed, the stubbornness paid off and eventually, he completed the course with distinction. Siman Tov continued his architecture studies and ultimately achieved a Masters diploma in architecture.

 

1991 – Siman Tov returns to Israel and works as an architect on several projects related to the conservation and preservation of historic buildings and streets in Jerusalem with Meltzer-Igra Architects.

 

1997 – 1999 Masters Degree in Art, Bezalel Academy of Art, Jerusalem

 

Exhibitions

 

1998 – “The Garden as an Allegory,” the Hebrew University Botanical Garden, Givat Ram, Jerusalem

1999 – The biennial for young artists, Rome

“Art Focus 3,” the international biennial for contemporary art, Jerusalem,

2000 – “solo exhibition 'the Acrobat and the Swimmer',” Haifa Museum of Art and the Haifa National Maritime Museum

2003 – solo exhibition 'drawing installation', the Jerusalem Artists' House

2003 – “Without Identity,” the Municipal Gallery, Rehovot

2005 – “Proximity,” the Heder Gallery, Tel Aviv

            “You don’t look hungry to me,” Limbus Gallery, Tel Aviv

            Agripas 12 Gallery, Jerusalem  

            The Hoenich Gallery of Experimental Art and Architecture, Technion, Haifa

2006 – Corine Maman Museum, Ashdod

            The Tel Aviv Artists' House

            Artists' Studios, Jerusalem

2007 – solo exhibition 'clossenes'the Heder Gallery, Tel Aviv

            Corine Maman Museum, Ashdod

            Artists Workshop, Yavneh (works from the Benno Kalev collection)

2008 – “Traces III,” the Israeli Drawing Biennieal, Jerusalem Artists' House

            ,DifDuf,” Seemann Gallery, Tel Aviv

      2008  - solo exhibition 'Looking for a king' INGA gallery 'Tel Aviv

 ' solo exhibition 'wanted',Kibbutz Nachson gallery-2009 

Group shows at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Tel Aviv Museum of Art; Ramat Gan Museum of Israeli Art.

 

Collections:

Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Haifa Museum of Art; Ramat Gan Museum of Israeli Art; Ashdod Museum; Benno Kalev collection; Rani Rahav collection; ; Jacqueline Freedman, Paris; Erica Gideon-Weiler, Switzerland; De Has Levinstein, Amsterdam; Jackie Ben-Zacken Collection; Seemann Gallery for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv; Inga Gallery Tel Aviv. Siman Tov’s works have been sold at Christie’s New York.

 

Ronen Siman Tov lives and works in Jerusalem. His studio is located in the Artists' Studios of the Jerusalem Foundation. He is married to Jasmin film director and raises five children. . In recent years, Siman Tov has dedicated all of his time to his artwork.