“I love to make my own designs with bright colours.
I want to make pictures that will help people to feel HAPPY!
I would like lots and lots of people to see them and be happy!
I want to use my Art to help the world to be kind and feel good and to save our HOME the EARTH!
We can stop bullying and fighting and work together to have PEACE.
Everyone has a heart and it can be good and happy.
I can show you what that looks like!”

AVIV   TALYA   DEKEL   Bio

FIBRE FOLK ARTIST

Aviv is 23 years old and has been creating her wonderful images for 15 years….

She is a very gentle spirit who has limitless empathy and spreads happiness and joy on her journey through life!   Aviv has Down Syndrome, a degenerative bone disease and diabetes type 1 and 2.  She can be painfully shy in new situations,   but is incredibly motivated and focused on her Art.   The theme of Hearts and Heart Flowers repeats itself in her Folk Art style.   Her art is ‘outside the mainstream’ and falls into the realm of OUTSIDER ART. Aviv works at least 2 hours daily on her needlepoint and art,  she will not go to bed without reaching her goal for the day and has been known to hide in the bathroom working with a flashlight well past midnight.

Aviv had heart surgery at three months for an atrio-ventricular septal defect that was repaired.   Then at 12 years old she developed diabetes.   She now does her own blood testing and insulin pump with supervision.   At about 13 years her right arm and hand stopped growing and began to lose strength, it is 1 inch shorter than the left.  Then the wrist bones started  to disolve, along with her right foot.   She had surgery in Feb/20  to fuse her right wrist to stabilize it. She compensates well for the lose of range, motion and strength.  

Aviv also did Hip Hop with Karen Clark Dance Studio, where she attended for 10+yrs.   She did Rhythmic Gymnastics with Special Olympics. She volunteered at St Vincent de Paul and Sassy’s Restaurant bi-weekly. Aviv also had a paid job at Adrianna’s Mexican Restaurant.  All that has changed now due to Covid.  She still does Theatre with the Deviants (a local drama group for special abilities),  and speech therapy on a weekly basis.   She stays home now and interacts mostly on Zoom due to being immune compromised.  This gives her a lot of time for artwork!                                                                                                                   

 Aviv lives with her parents on Twin Willow Farm in Brentwood Bay,   She sells her original needlepoint and artworks, plus photos of these, on her Happy Cards online.  We used to attend many farm Markets to sell our fruit and Aviv’s Art.

 Images of Aviv’s artwork ‘Rainbow Sun’ , ‘Folk Hearts’ and ‘Heart Flower’ were purchased by the City of Victoria for their giant  poster Commute Bus Shelter Project.  Each was displayed downtown on a Bus Stop on Yates St for one year!   She has also displayed and sold at Coast Collective Gallery, ArtSea Gallery, the LOOK Show and VAC shows.   Aviv had a Solo Show “The Same But Different” at the Spiral Cafe for the month of July 2019 with 66 pieces.  Aviv had another Solo Show “Hold on Together” at the Spirale for the month of Oct 2020.  She was also the subject of Sawatsky’s Sign-off on CTV.  Aviv is working on her goal to become a serious professional Artist.  

More about Aviv