Chana Orloff

Born into a Jewish family in Ukraine, Chana Orloff emigrated to Palestine before moving to Paris in 1910 to study art. She quickly became a central figure in the Montparnasse art scene, rubbing elbows with Modigliani, Soutine, and Picasso, proving that even a young immigrant could break into the avant-garde if she just had enough chutzpah and talent.

Orloff’s distinctive modernist sculptures, often depicting human figures and portraits, earned her international acclaim. Her work was celebrated for its strength, expressiveness, and a certain je ne sais quoi that critics loved to gush over. Frankly, she made a name for herself in a field dominated by men, which is quite the achievement, no?

Despite the rise of Nazism, Orloff remained in Paris until 1942 when she fled to Switzerland with her son, narrowly escaping the Vichy regime's clutches. After the war, she returned to find her studio looted and many works destroyed, but she rebuilt her life and continued to create, exhibiting widely, including in Israel, where she became a rather celebrated figure.