The Argentinian designer and artist Valentina Chiappero arrived in Israel with her partner Pablo in March 2019, on the last flight from Madrid to Israel that landed right into the first quarantine. The two had trouble finding an apartment and a job and were already thinking of returning to Argentina, when Valentina’s portfolio rolled into our hands at Abraham. The connection was immediate and led to a unique collaboration, in which Valentina began to paint on walls in the chain’s dormitories in exchange for housing.
During a period of 10 months, Valentina introduced not only beauty but also character in over 60 rooms in hostels in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Eilat. In each of the locations, she referred to the colors and style that characterize the place – the hostel itself and the city in which it is located – and created an original and unique piece for each space. Her style varies between painting and graphics, between figurative and abstract, and she usually uses intense and iridescent colors against the contrast of black and white.
In addition to the guest rooms, Valentina continued with another project created especially for the hostel employees. Each office received a painting specially designed for its occupants, in order to add a twist and a change of atmosphere to the team’s work environment.
Even if you haven’t booked a room yet, you can take a look at Valentina’s paintings online or go through the stairwell of the hostel in Tel Aviv, where a huge painting of hers hangs between the 2nd and 3rd floors.