Ilana Yahav & British Airways: Celebrating the launch of Europe-San Diego through the medium of sand art

Ilana Yahav & British Airway’s: Celebrating the launch of Europe-San Diego through the medium of sand art

Ilana Yahav is an Israeli artist with a very unique talent: by using only sand and her dexterity she guides the viewer through her work of ever-changing imagery and imagination. To share her talent, British Airways recently commissioned her to create a unique piece to celebrate the launch of airlines’s non-stop service between Europe and San Diego.

Sand Art, as it is known, is a cross-over between performance art and animation that creates a very distinctive effect for the observer. The practice is not new, however, it is gaining fresh attention in the media as a way of producing animated films and adverts. With many believing that the art is highly representative of the ebb and flow of life, it is easy to see why British Airways chose Ilana to depict the beautiful beaches, bustling nightlife and laid-back way of life that makes San Diego one of America’s most alluring destinations. Click the image below or follow the link view her latest creation.
Below, Ilana explains that, to her, sand art is more than just a performance…

Q: What drew you to sand art?
A: All my life, I have created art. It started with painting and sculpting and developed from there. I grew up on the beach in Haifa, Israel, and every morning I would visit the sea and write my diary in the sand, I would then wait for the waves to erase the words; it would fascinate me how everything would disappear in front of my eyes, as a young girl it made me think about how transitory everything is.

I have always been enchanted by the way we use our hands to express emotions such as love, anger, compassion…and as an artist I have always tried to challenge myself to find new ways of

artistic expressions and for me, the moment I touched the sand, I fell in love with the simplicity and soul of sand art.

I was honored when British Airways approached me to to create a piece of art for the launch of their new San Diego route. To depict the sunny shores of San Diego felt like a natural fit with my background and the medium of ‘sand’. I hope the video and route are both a great success.

Q: What kind of response does your work tend to receive?
A: I perform all over the world and at yet at every performance something very special happens, you can feel emotions pouring out of people, many of the audience even have tears in their eyes by the end. It shows you how many hearts this kind of art touches with its expression and peace.

Q: Sand art popularity has increased rapidly, how has this affected your practice? is it affecting your practice?
A: I have seen a rise in the number of private clients who come to me to commission a piece of sand art.

Usually clients ask me to create a special sand art according to their theme; this will involve a lot of work with the creative director to get the specifics down. After that I make sketches and experiment on the glass table. The process will often change during rehearsals, as it can be very dependent on the music that accompanies the performance. I have a few composers who create unique music to go with my art, but sometimes companies have a soundtrack in mind already, which is a challenge sometimes.

Q: How does your performance differ from live shows to shooting for adverts?
A: Shooting for an advert is totally different to performing live. For an advert I have to work at home developing the idea with the art director of the advertising company and then I shoot all day long in the studio with professional staff.

A live performance feels like a more natural process, however, there is not the room for error that you are allowed when filming!

Q: Do you feel you sacrifice artistically when working with private clients?
A: I am always faithful to my art, but I work closely with my clients to ensure everyone is happy with the outcome and we learn a lot from each other.

Q: What’s the most memorable performance you’ve ever done?
A: I performed in the Kremlin in Moscow in front of an audience of 6,000 people. I was accompanied by four orchestras who made the music to accompany my drawing. It really was the most memorable experience.

Via: Anita Alfonsi