Abstract Terroir began in the vineyards - a project initiated by fascination with wine and the landscapes that produce it.

This work explores place through color, using natural pigments made from grape skins, vine ash, soil, stones, and other foraged or salvaged materials. I extract these pigments using traditional methods, transforming what is found or left behind into paintings that hold the texture, rhythm, and spirit of the land.

My background winds through Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, farm to table restaurants, wine shops, and harvest seasons. It was in the world of wine that I first understood terroir as taste, time, labor, soil, and story - and it’s that understanding that fuels my creativity.

What started with winemakers has naturally grown into collaborations with farmers, cheesemakers, and those in hospitality - people whose lives are intertwined with the land and the materials it yields. Each piece becomes a way to communicate their story, to celebrate their work in a new form.

Now, as a student of Gastronomy at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, I focus on agroecology, environmental health, food waste, and traditional ecological knowledge. These themes shape my practice as much as the materials I use.

Each piece is a collaboration between the land, the producers and myself, offering a new view on terroir.

Ayelet Shastél