The Art of Eli Zagoria

“In Arcadia I once asked Eli in which language did he think in, to which he cleverly replied “I think in pictures” – Michael Perry Kotzen quoted in - David Solly Sandler. ‘100 Years of ARC Memories: Arcadia-South African Jewish Orphanage, 1906-2006.’

The City of Wanneroo and local collector David Solly Sandler are proud to present an exhibition of artworks by the late Eli Zagoria, a prolific local artist who emigrated from South Africa in 1992 and made his living painting and sketching the people and places of Perth. Eli sketched over 15 000 portraits in his lifetime and mastered the art of oil painting on various surfaces.

His artworks capture iconic scenes of Perth in the 1990s and are also influenced by his own fascinating life. Born in Latvia, Eli grew up in a Jewish orphanage in South Africa and fought at Tobruk in WWII before being taken as a Prisoner of War in Italy and Germany which through amazing circumstances changed the arc of his life towards painting and illustration.

Visit the Gallery at Wanneroo Library and Cultural Centre until Sat 15 Dec to see an extensive collection of original works by this fascinating artist.

Join collector David Solly Sandler every Wednesday morning at 10:30am during the exhibition to hear about Eli Zagoria’s artwork.