The Story Behind My 'Y'
Art piece no. 2 / Y for Yael Man 2012
Inspired by Art in London (2012)
In 2012, I returned home from London brimming with inspiration.
I had just visited a Damien Hirst exhibit focused on medicine and pills, and it left a mark on me far deeper than I expected. Seeing everyday objects like pharmaceuticals transformed into art ignited something in my imagination. I didn’t realize it yet, but that experience was the spark that would lead to Life Letters.
An Unexpected Creative Challenge
Shortly after, an art curator friend — who knew about my passion for typography and English letters — reached out with a special request. She invited me to create an art piece interpreting a new painkiller called Nurofen Quick, which the company Reckitt Benckiser had just introduced in Israel. This piece would be displayed in a group exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, where various artists were each presenting works inspired by different themes. I was thrilled by the opportunity and my mind immediately started racing with ideas. In fact, I instantly knew what I wanted to do.
Creating the Letter “Q”
Art piece no. 1 / Q for Quick Nurofen 2012
I decided to build my artwork around the letter “Q”, inspired by the “Quick” in Nurofen Quick. I cut the shape of a large Q out of a 5cm-thick block of clear Perspex (acrylic glass), essentially creating a hollow Q-shaped mold. Then I filled the interior with real Nurofen Quick pills, letting them lie and move freely within the transparent letter. Perspex is a cold, transparent material, and I loved the idea of bringing it to life with something as striking as bright white pills. The contrast was exciting — a rigid clear shell filled with objects symbolizing healing and energy — and I hoped it would intrigue viewers.
A Happy Accident: “Positive & Negative”
As I was crafting the Perspex Q, something unexpected happened — a happy accident that only added to the creativity. When cutting out the letter, I ended up with two separate Q-shaped pieces: one was the hollow outline (the “negative” space), and the other was the solid letter form that came out of it (the “positive” piece). Instead of discarding anything, I decided to make a second artwork from the extra Q. I took the empty pill packages – the foil and packaging from the Nurofen Quick – and cut and scattered those inside the second Q. Now I had a pair of Q sculptures: one filled with pills, and its twin filled with the pill packaging. I called this duo “Positive and Negative,” without assigning which Q was which. To me, they complemented each other and told a fuller story together, born from a mistake that turned into art.
Debut at the Museum
When opening night at the Tel Aviv Museum came, I remember standing to the side, watching people interact with my two quirky Q’s. The audience’s reaction was beyond anything I imagined. Visitors were fascinated – they had never seen a letter turned into a capsule of floating pills and foil before. Some were peering in from up close, others snapping photos, and many just wore amazed smiles. This fresh visual expression struck a chord, and their excitement was palpable. In that moment, I realized I was onto something special. It was incredibly validating to see that an idea so personal and unusual could resonate with others. I felt a rush of excitement and knew that this concept had potential beyond just this one exhibit.
The First “Life Letter”: My Y
Excited by the amazing feedback, the very next day I decided to keep the momentum going in a deeply personal way. I took the first letter of my own name – “Y” for Yael – and turned it into my next canvas. I filled this letter Y with tiny miniatures and objects that represent me: little trinkets symbolizing my hobbies, my loves, and my personal stories. It became a sort of self-portrait in letter form – a letter that encapsulated who I am. Once it was done, I felt a thrill looking at it; it was playful, intimate, and so me. I shared a photo of that Y-shaped creation on Facebook to show friends and family. From there, it took on a life of its own – people were amazed and immediately started asking if I could make similar pieces for them. I knew I had struck a nerve, creating something that made people reflect on their own lives and identities in a fun, artistic way.
From One Letter to Life Letters
What began with that single Y has since blossomed into an entire creative journey that I call Life Letters. Over the years I kept refining and developing the concept, transforming it from a personal experiment into my signature art form. Each Life Letter is essentially a time capsule in the shape of a letter (or sometimes a number or even a logo). I fill them with miniatures and mementos that tell the story of a person, a company, or an organization – little pieces of a life, preserved in a beautiful transparent letter. Each project is heartfelt and custom, because no two stories are the same. Looking back, it’s amazing to think this all started with that one inspired moment in a Damien Hirst exhibit and a curator’s challenge. Today, Life Letters has grown beyond just me: it’s about giving others a tangible, artful snapshot of what matters most to them. And it all began with a bold idea, a happy accident, and the courage to put my heart into a letter.
