Little Mehrin

Otte Wallish: From Znojmo to Tel Aviv

On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the birth of Otte Wallis, we symbolically open an exhibition presenting the work of this leading Israeli graphic artist. Otte Wallish was born in Znojmo in 1906. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, opened his own printmaking studio in Prague in the early 1930s and regularly collaborated with the Jewish National Fund. He designed mainly advertising leaflets, film posters and graphic design for books. In 1934 he moved to Mandatory Palestine, where he continued his work. In 1948 he designed the graphic design of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel, as well as the first Israeli stamps and coins, and participated in the design of the emblem of the Israeli police. In addition to government commissions, he also worked on commercial projects, creating several thousand posters, some of which are among the icons of graphic design in Israel. The author of the exhibition is Eva Janáčová. The exhibition is held under the auspices of the Embassy of the State of Israel, the City of Znojmo and the South Moravian Region. The exhibition is supported by the Jewish Museum in Prague, the National Museum, the Czech Numismatic Society, the National Film Archive and private collectors.