Archie Nahman is a self-taught artist whose work is a reflection of his Jewish heritage and other major cultural influences in his life. He was born on the Mediterranean island of Rhodes just months before the Nazi occupation.  His family fled to Africa, where he lived in the Congo, then Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), and finally, South Africa.  After graduating in 1956 from Herzlia School in Cape Town, South Africa, Nahman served in the Israeli army, then moved back to South Africa. In 1962, he moved to the U.S.

 

Nahman’s love for metals was kindled while he lived in Rhodesia, where his father and his elder brother worked in the copper mines.  His own experience with metal has been as a scrapyard laborer and a machinist. 

 

Nahman has created furniture, lamps, and numerous free-standing and hanging masks, as well as Jewish ritual objects such as Chanukiahs, Havdalah sets, mezuzahs, and tzedakah boxes.  His Judaica and other work have been included in many exhibitions in the United States and is in private collections and synagogues in various parts of the world.  Among his awards are Most Innovative Design from the National Museum of American Jewish History (1994) and Finalist in Folk and Ethnic Arts from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Program (1989).