Summary
Nadav Parzenchevski (b. 1982, Haifa, Israel) is an autodidactic research artist developing a unique artistic medium based on the Lichtenberg Figures phenomena - fractal dielectric breaking of materials in high voltage current. In his work he turns electric resistance into a brush and creates a complex dialogue between the raw forces of nature and the human capacity to instill intention and meaning, a perception formed along a decade of experimentation and inspired by his experience in dog training and preschool education - to form a framework of boundaries allowing freedom within. The method's evolution focuses on the interactions between control and submission, wherein from year to year, he moves from enforcing his will on the material into listening to it, thus tempting them into forging images, textures and shapes involving scientific, natural and narrative contents, from the resolution of the sub atomic to the cognitive, using scavenged materials, while evolving the technique to a rich, high contrast and vibrant visual language.
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Elaboration
About The Artist
Nadav Prezanchevsky (b. 1982, Haifa, Israel) is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist and independent researcher who pioneers a volatile and mesmerizing medium: painting with high-voltage electricity.
Nadav’s path to the art world was entirely unconventional. For decades, he actively avoided artistic creation, paralyzed by a deeply ingrained perfectionism, while working in dog training and early childhood education. It wasn’t until his early thirties, following a profound personal crossroads, that he found catharsis in physical materials - experimenting with leather, wood, glass, and ceramic. In 2016, his trajectory changed forever when he stumbled upon a physical phenomenon known as Lichtenberg Figures.
​The Medium & Method
Lichtenberg Figures occur when an insulating material undergoes dielectric breakdown under high-voltage electrical stress, transforming from an insulator into a conductor. Nadav subverts this chaotic natural phenomenon into a controlled painterly method. Utilizing discarded plywood and furniture salvaged from the streets of Haifa during "furniture shedding seasons," he saturates the wood with a conductive solution and strategically attaches electrodes to form a potential electrical circuit. The surging current burns through the resistance, charring the wood and forging its own pathways of destruction and creation.After a decade of rigorous experimentation - oscillating between total lack of control and heavy - handed enforcement that stripped the electricity of its natural fractal richness - Nadav developed a philosophy he calls "Soft Control.""My approach to guiding electricity is adapted from my years as a dog trainer: to entice, not to enforce. It is about creating a supportive framework that honors the subject's autonomy. I dictate the macro-conditions where I can, but I yield the micro-details to nature."
 |  The lonely Tree |
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Philosophical Manifestation
Nadav’s work thrives in the tension between two internal forces: a deeply rooted, atheistic spirituality that marvels at the complex emergence of nature without a creator, and an innate desire for control. The resulting art is a visual negotiation between man and nature, reason and gut instinct.
"It is fascinating to me that physical resistance creates trauma in the material, the trauma enables conduction, and between the two, a new layer of complexity is woven," Nadav reflects. "This is a cosmic law. From atoms and galaxies to political currents and mass extinctions - the highest complexity always emerges from the friction between opposing forces."
When viewers see neurons, rivers, veins, or roots in his burnt panels, they are witnessing the universe's logistical blueprint: the fundamental way nature weaves matter and flows energy under minimal rules. For Nadav, science is a love letter to nature, and creation is its worship.
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Selected Milestones & Looking Forward
Nadav’s nomadic artistic journey has taken him from exhibiting on the walls of neighborhood bars in Haifa to a transformative year-long journey across Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, and South Africa), where he traded bespoke electrical artworks with patrons in exchange for accommodation.
Recently, Nadav broke through a personal creative barrier by incorporating epoxy resins and vibrant colors into his monochrome work—a transition sparked by the passing of his mother, for whom he crafted a vivid, brilliantly imperfect, electrified monument to defy the cold, sterile marble of traditional cemeteries.
Currently dividing his time between his studio in Haifa and international showcases - including a prominent group exhibition in Milan, Italy (June 2026) through the I.C.U. Art Association - Nadav is expanding his research into the electrification of organic materials like leather and bone. He is actively seeking collaborative opportunities with contemporary galleries, institutional spaces, and architects to realize large-scale site-specific installations and murals.
 Mount Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic Of Congo |
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