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19 February 2021
by Antonella Gaetani
Ilana Efrati arrives in Italy last February. For several years he has lived and worked between his studio in Tel Aviv and that of Todi, where he bought a farmhouse immersed in the woods. She is a well-rounded stylist and artist: she creates ceramics and paintings. Its colors are the reflection of what nature creates. Each of his creations is particular with great attention to detail and precious raw materials. It began in 1983 and Italy is a landing place for high quality textiles: "It is a country with ancient roots and a tradition that dates back to 1800. Some of these companies are no longer there, because they are bought by foreigners" He tells us. His contribution to the cultural exchange between Italy and Israel is very strong and, for this reason, in 2016 he received the title of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy from the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
For her, wandering since 2005, three weeks in Israel and three in Todi, our country has become a permanent home since last February. On his Instagram profile a daily diary and the blog, in English and Hebrew, on his website www.ilanaefrati.com. “It all happened quickly. I was returning from London where my daughter lives and everything was open there. I didn't feel safe already. And I flew back to Italy. Nobody expected such a pandemic. It is much heavier for city dwellers. The virus is an earthquake and nothing will be the same again when we went out in the morning and returned in the evening ”.
What do they tell you from Israel?
The economic crisis is very strong. Many of my friends are worried. My studio and shop are also closed. Tel Aviv, a city much loved by young people, is emptying. The boys are afraid for their future. We look to the countryside as a place to start over.
Did your family members become infected?
Yes, some not seriously, others needed the hospital. Now many friends have been vaccinated. Those who respect the rules are very angry about some episodes such as the rabbi's funeral with tens of thousands of people in violation of the anti-covid rules.
Are the changes strong in Israel?
Yes. Before, people also traveled for 24 or 48 hours to go to London or Rome. The time of a weekend, in a hurry. Same thing in habits: we tended to buy just for the fun of it.
A virus that has caused many deaths ...
It is a war. This great pain has left us a seed to grow: the essential.
What is work for you?
It's not just business, it's money: it's culture. I had the opportunity to express myself when I started. If I look at my sector, that of fashion, I find that multinationals steal opportunities with serious effects for craftsmanship. Today the market is wild: shops and clothes alike. We have lost our taste for details. The only goal is to earn a lot and pay the workers little.
What has changed in you this year in Italy?
The weather. This silence has become a laboratory for my soul, my ideas. I am more focused and have finished the work that I had not finished. I walk, go into the woods and find what I need. We have raped nature without mercy. It's time for a change in politics and economics too.
Was the lockdown right for you?
Yes. I find that the Italian government has done well. The pandemic has shown the many shortcomings in health care, but I must say that the Italians have been very disciplined.
You, a year before the pandemic, had written a book, which almost anticipates these changes
Yes, in 2019 “Orto” comes out. It is a journey that recounts a year at home: from spring to the next. Unwilling, it mirrors what happened with the pandemic. It is a visual book, where my photos are: they are not professional shots. I wanted to convey an emotion by blocking what nature shows us: the light, the fog, the first flower of March, the spider web with dew. It is important to be able to find the taste of life, of time and choose genuine foods produced from the garden. I have also included recipes that combine those of my Israeli family with Umbrian flavors. It is a book that wants to give well-being to the body and soul.
Is the other side of wellness beauty?
Certainly. I tell women not to buy many things, but what is worth. What gives value? An idea, a project made by hands full of love. It is this path that exalts the wearer. The pressure of society on the perfection of women is strong and this creates anxiety. The imperfect is beautiful. Fashion must come out of this exasperation of what does not exist. Beauty is being comfortable with what you have.
Covid has created depression. How to get out?
We must not live in a desperate way, but respect what happens. There are things we cannot change. It is useless to make war on him. We will be stronger than the virus if we can look inside and outside ourselves with new eyes.
Will he resume traveling?
I don't think great distances, at least for this year.
What attracted you to Italy?
The beauty. It is a nation without limits. It is beautiful in the details. I find that Italians are very responsible in their work. They do it carefully. The problem is that they don't believe in themselves.
Do you miss your family?
My daughter lives in London and in the summer, when the measures were less restrictive, she came to Italy. With smart working we have managed to be together. We are also in contact with the rest of the family thanks to digital technology.
Where do you see the future of Italy?
In small towns. It is from there that we must start again.