Dan Rapaport was born in Kibbutz Ramat Johanan in 1944. As a young boy he took up wood carving, emulating his grandfather, a pioneer academic who also made violins. From age 14 to 19 he studied metal work at Technician Haifa, one of Israel's top technical schools.
At age 26, after serving in the army, Mr Rapaport assisted the sculptor Matanya Abramson in his Tel Aviv studio, making wood and bronze sculptures. At the same time, he studied drawing under Professor J. Schwarzmann. In 1971 he built his own studio in Old Jaffa, in which he made sculptures for his first exhibition.
In 1972 Mr. Rapaport left for Paris to study for a B.A. in sculpture, but had to leave in 1973 for war service in Israel. Out of his war experiences came an exhibition of bronze statues which closed his first period of mature creative work.
Back in Israel from 1979 to 1985, Mr Rapaport's second period was one of experimentation in his bronze foundry, his chief work being the statue "David." His third period, from 1988 to 1990, was very active; during these two years he completed the large sculptures "Power of the Rainbow," "Chariot of the Wind," "Stone Bird," and "Last Supper," all of which were government commissions.
Mr Rapaport's fourth period began in 1991 with his arrival at Wimbledon School of Art to study for his M.A. in sculpture. In his first year, he completed a bronze statue, "The Diver," exhibited in CannizaroPark, Wimbledon. His second year was devoted to the creation of a large bronze statue with a tennis theme, to be situated in WimbledonPark. Dan Rapaport is currently also engaging in a major Israeli sculptural project, "The Forest," to be sited on the submarine reef of Eilat.
