Israel visual arts have been influenced by the artists schooled in European techniques yet contain a uniquely Israeli expression with local Middle Eastern influences.  The tension between West and East has been a continuing theme for Israeli artists.

Earlier works aimed at creating an "original Jewish art" while contemporary artists strive towards broadening the definition of Israeli art beyond its traditional concepts and materials.

Images based on local and universal elements as diverse as biblical themes and the human emotions of stress and fear, as well as the local landscape lie at the center of Israeli art and ensure its uniqueness as an indigenous culture and as an active component of contemporary Western art.