Israeli Trailblazers
Israel is wildly misunderstood—and wildly helpful. Look past the headlines and you’ll find a country quietly solving some of humanity’s toughest challenges. Israel punches far above its weight in making the world safer, smarter, and more sustainable. From climate tech and cultured meat to cybersecurity, life-saving medicine, and AI innovation. Hosted by Jennifer Weissmann, Israeli Trailblazers is a biweekly spotlight on the bold minds turning scarcity into strength and radical ideas into global breakthroughs. These are the stories of resilience, generosity, and game-changing innovation that rarely make the news—but absolutely should. ✅ Subscribe now and discover why Israel is a valuable ally the world never knew it had. Bold Thinkers. Big Ideas. A Better World.
Israeli Trailblazers
From Penniless to Provocative: How David Gerstein's ’50s Childhood Shaped a Global Art Phenomenon
What happens when a poor boy from the 1950s insists on doing things his way—and ends up becoming one of the most influential artists of our time?
In this powerful episode of Finding Inspiration, world-renowned sculptor and painter David opens up about his early struggles, his defiant path through an art world that didn’t “get him,” and his unstoppable creative drive at age 76.
💥 Hear why he believes painting is the only true form of artistic freedom
💥 Why his sculptures are seen around the world—but his most meaningful work is still unseen
💥 How the clock is ticking—and what he feels compelled to say before time runs out
This episode is a rare, raw look at what it means to live—and create—without compromise.
🎧 If you're passionate about art, legacy, creativity, and staying bold even with a ticking clock, this episode will light your fire.
🎧 Subscribe now to Israeli Trailblazers—where we spotlight the fearless leaders building a freer world.
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https://pod.link/1585604285
https://findinginspiration.substack.com/
GUEST (David) (17:38):
Exactly. Larger galleries started to Google me and became interested. A lot of people started to discover me through these small ambassadors.
HOST (Jennifer) (17:51):
In addition to being a brilliant artist, you're a master marketeer. You see things that people don't.
GUEST (David) (17:57):
I was young and I was penniless. I wasn't able to do what I want. But later on, when I was a little more established, I could do anything I wanted. I say, what I feel like doing, I will do, and nobody will stop me. You see, I would go against the streets. Even when I started. And my art wasn't very popular. I insisted on doing what I want. And all the life I did was my way of doing things. I feel it is the right thing. I will do it no matter what, that's the way I live my life.
HOST (Jennifer) (18:28):
You've lived your life from the early days.
GUEST (David) (18:30):
And now I must tell you. I'm doing a lot of works around the world -- in this multilayer artwork. I feel like going back to when I started to do my figurative painting because I feel now in my 70’s feel that I left something. I’m not finished. Now I continue my sculpture and my exhibition. But in my studio, I dedicate a lot of time to continue what I left behind 40 years ago with my painting. So I'm doing a lot of painting now. They're not being shown yet.
HOST (Jennifer) (19:03):
What do you think is missing in your life David?
GUEST (David) (19:05):
Sculpture or the way I develop my sculpture, there is a kind of limitation. This doesn’t exist with painting. Painting has no limitation. You can do any idea. And when I do sculpture, I have to stand before the limitation. So I feel like this is spontaneous work that you stand before, an empty canvas, and you create something within a few hours that doesn't exist in sculpture. In sculpture it’s different. You have to plan it before. It's almost like architecture. You have to plan it and you have to use a factory to help you produce it.
HOST (Jennifer) (19:42):
At 76, you're in a race to keep sharing. What's left inside?
GUEST (David) (19:49):
I will tell you. When you are in your seventies, you can see the limitation of age. You say, well, I, I didn't say everything I wanted yet. I feel like I want to say things before its end, you know before I became senile. So I have the urge to do more and more. I've been doing large-scale sculptures around the world, but I want to leave behind more things that feel haven't been completed.
HOST (Jennifer) (20:17):
What inspires you David?
GUEST (David) (20:19):
It's very hard to inspire creativity, but life is a source of inspiration. And if you ask yourself, is art completed itself? I mean, there's a place for art in the world. Yes. It's endless, you know, the ideas itself are an inspiration.
HOST (Jennifer) (20:37):
Somebody asked you how long did it take to make this metal sculpture? And your reply was 40 years.
GUEST (David) (20:44):
It's true. Time is so limited.
HOST (Jennifer) (20:48):
Thank you for joining us this week on Finding Inspiration. Hey, I would appreciate it. If you would click on that subscribe button and share this podcast with a friend, see you next week. I'm Jennifer Weissmann.
