Mordechay Weisz

Mordechay’s realistic portraiture is captivating, with an aura of other-worldliness. “I start with the eyes,” he explains. “When I finish the eyes, I step back and take a good look to see if I’ve captured the essence of the person. When there is a moment of recognition, I know that I’ve succeeded.”

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Born in a DP camp in Germany, Mordechay was originally inspired by his mother, a self-taught painter whose artistic talents helped her survive the war.

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He grew up in Williamsburg in the 1950s and had a connection with many of the towering figures that he portrays. “I knew most of them. Who didn't know the Rebbes of Satmar, Skulen & Lubavitch... Rav Moshe Feinstein and others.”

For more than 50 years his company, Mark Weisz Design, has collaborated with the leaders in the Kosher food market, to raise the bar and reimagine package design in the Jewish marketplace.

More recently, Mordechay has broadened his focus to encompass the fine arts. Charcoal is particularly suited for depicting the Hadras Panim of the illustrious personalities that he draws. His works are evocative, endearing, powerful, and sometimes unexpected. Each captures a vignette, offering an intimate glimpse of a fleeting moment from an era long gone.

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