SJN: Multi-talented and self-taught mural and portrait artist takes Montreal by storm | Sjn

St. Laurent native Muriel Cohen (no relation) and her family lived happily in Israel until the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas. When the war broke out and she lived in Moshav Gea (a small village) a few kilometers from the Gaza Strip, her husband, the musician Elran Dekel, and her two children (the eldest was serving in the military) returned to Quebec. With the help of Omets, they settled in NDG.

Now, Muriel is ready to make her presence felt by presenting Faces of Israel, an engaging video series that unfolds across social media platforms. It invites people to join as it focuses on the true beauty of human connections through the eyes of the warm-hearted and open-minded people of Israel.

Muriel has a knack for crafting 30-second portraits that capture the essence of Israel's unique spirit. His series aims to highlight the kindness, generosity and genuine human connections found on the streets of Israel and now in Montreal. “I never went to art school,” he told me. “I'm learning portraits and graffiti on my own.”

Muriel moved to Paris as a teenager and then to New York, where she spent the next 11 years. A few days after witnessing the 9/11 attacks, he felt the need to document life, bought his first pads of paper and charcoal, and began drawing strangers on the streets. Strangely enough, without looking at the page, a sentence crosses his mind and brings him right next to the portrait. I witnessed him photographing me. He channels his inner thoughts and leaves a short sentence describing the hidden secret of each soul he portrays.

From portraits, Muriel turned to creating street art or murals on urban walls in Tel Aviv.

Muriel has also become an anti-bullying advocate. “Another street artist in Israel was not happy to see me as a competitor, so he tried to destroy everything I did,” he says. “I would fix it and it would ruin them again. I started making a documentary to tell what happened at that time. And what do you know? The perpetrator is a friend of mine and he may appear in my documentary.'

Now Muriel is excited to rebuild her life in Montreal, where the door is open to new clients for murals. When the weather improves, don't be surprised to see him pop up in different parts of town taking portraits.

Katya Dahan, a well-known publicist from Montreal, is helping to spread the word about Muriel. He meets others from the art community, such as Ezra Soiferman.

You can watch his 30-second portrait here.

For more details go to https://www.muriellestreetart.com.