The designer
Hadar Tidhar is an independent product designer in Israel. He is also a lecturer at the Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art and Sapir Academic College, and the principal of the School of Traditional and Contemporary Art, which is a branch of Sapir Academic College in the city of Yeruham. His family background is deeply rooted in Yemen, and his grandparents were Jews who were born in Yemen and spoke Yemenite.
When he designs, he looks for a connection between people and their history and culture. This is through an in-depth investigation of culture and a constant attempt to make it relevant to life today. In order to succeed, he tries to combine old and new with original and contemporary.
His starting point as a designer is that living in the Western world has kept us distant from our cultural wealth. He finds great inspiration in looking at past culture and trying to find meaning and relevance in our lives today. This is the way he feels he can contribute to the world.
The transition from 2D to 3D is an integral part of his work as a designer and when he was exposed to Islamic art, the link was instant. The Islamic patterns and shapes are fascinating to him both aesthetically and spiritually.
The factory
Ran El Industries Ltd., is a concrete plant, managed by Roni Ben-Ishay, located in the Industrial Park in the city of Yeruham, in the south of Israel.
Roni is considered a master artist in his field and specializes in working with concrete and obtaining a final product with a high level of finish and with uncompromising accuracy.
The connection between Roni and Hadar was created in 2015, as part of a unique program for young designers in Yeruham.
The collaboration began with the development of large concrete coins, for one of the businesses in the city and continues to this day in the design and production of tiles, street furniture, lifestyle products, handicrafts and souvenirs, children’s games and even technical parts for construction. Everything is custom made.
