About the Artist

Suspended Between Earth and Sky

For nearly four decades, Avi has worked as a painter and sculptor, exhibiting internationally, including at the Istanbul Biennial, with works presented in galleries, public spaces, and professional environments across Europe and beyond. A graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts, his practice reflects a deep engagement with both classical training and contemporary expression.

Today, he creates from a studio in the south of France, where a quiet and deliberate rhythm shapes every piece.

Each hot-air balloon is a handcrafted sculptural object, meticulously built from layers of papier-mâché over lightweight forms and assembled using natural linen threads. Every element, from the balloon itself to the small figures in the basket - is shaped and painted by hand using high-quality acrylics, then carefully sealed to preserve its depth and radiance.

No two balloons are ever the same.

Avi's balloons are not toys, but sculptural works of art, intimate objects that exist between material presence and imagination. Subtle irregularities, traces of the hand, and delicate variations give each piece its own distinct character and quiet vitality.

At the heart of this body of work lies a timeless idea: the balloon as a symbol of freedom, journey, and gentle escape suspended between earth and sky.

Each piece unfolds as a circular narrative, drawing on mythology, animals, travel, ornament, and memory. Its imagery reveals itself gradually, inviting the viewer to move around it and discover its story from multiple perspectives.

Alongside his smaller, intimate works, Avi has created large-scale suspended sculptures in metal and wire for offices and corporate spaces. This experience continues to inform the presence of his balloons in space: whether placed in a private interior or within a more open, architectural environment, they are conceived as suspended forms in dialogue with their surroundings.

The balloons are available in a range of sizes and can be commissioned to suit specific spatial contexts, responding to the scale, atmosphere, and character of each setting.

Created outside of trends, and rooted in a practice of slow, intentional making, Avi's handmade balloons belong to a world where time, imagination, and craftsmanship still matter.