Shaul Nay Tsabry
Where are you from?
Shaul Nai Sabari Born in Israel. 47 years old Divorced single father Father with 3 sons ages 7, 10 13 Wounded numerous times during military service - Neche tzahal, What is your disability? My disability is PTSD - nafshi – psychological, and emotional. During my army service, I was a fighter in the field. I suffered many conflicts but was most affected by five major incidents: I was caught in a lynch situation in 1994 in Schem, I was stabbed in 1992, I was a fighter during Initifada 2 where there were many incidents, I was the first on the scene to rescue a bus-load of tourists who had fallen from a cliff in Eilat in 2009, I was in a jeep that caught fire. The army was my family and I lost many friends in that family over the years of my service.
When did you start to paint?
Started to paint after the bus incident– I was lost, hurt on my whole body, aggressive, violent, and lost myself. From the age of about 32 to 35, I was not myself and got into fights over nothing – I. I was taken to the hospital. I did not know where I was. I was a nice guy before that. Educated. When I left the hospital, I started with association issues – my head did not work right- I misread things and I was not able to acknowledge the issues. I wanted to end this, but I was not able to do it on my own. When I was back in the hospital, I took paint and painted on the wall and painted what I wanted. I could not speak. Thru the art, I explained what I wanted. Through drawing and painting, I began my tipul. Thru tel hashomer shikum I started understanding that this was a way to express my internal pain and suffering that were driving me to the difficult behavior.
What is your style?
Paint with hands most of the time. My style is whatever allows me to express the things in me that need to get out. I share what I am feeling. For example, When I am in ‘etkef’ I paint. If my friends see I am upset, they tell me to go and paint to get it out. They know that after I will be calm.
I have gotten a lot of support in the results.
I give lectures – because each painting is a story. The fact that each is a story, people love it and want to buy. Buy a story. Although I can speak about the story of my painting to the group, I is very difficult for me to speak to people after.
What does art mean to you?
Art is Shalva in life. It is peace. It is me. It is my escape from pain that is so strong I cannot breathe. Every painting is a story inside me. Each portrays my state of mind.