Life turned me into a grumpy optimist. Growing up in a tough corner of the world, I learned to see beauty in the cracks - real, raw, and sometimes even disgusting. The details most people overlook are often the ones that matter most to me. They tell stories, hold truths, and reflect the contradictions I’ve lived. Beneath the growls, I’m just a big fuzzy soul with feelings that need an outlet. 

Here’s the thing - I don’t have the skills to paint or sketch by hand. Technology gave me another way to express the details stuck inside and a channel to communicate them to you. Through art, I let those cracks and hidden truths emerge, even if they aren’t always easy to understand. And that’s okay. If they don’t make sense to you either, you’re in good company. Sometimes surreal, sometimes provocative, but always honest - my work is my way of making sense of the world.

By day, I’m a User Experience Designer at Google, crafting intricate systems for technical users with very specific and defined needs. It’s fulfilling, sure, but this store is where my creative soul gets to stretch. It’s my partnership with technology that gave me the workaround to transform emotions into art. It’s bold, unfiltered, and shaped by the contradictions that define me.

I don’t apologize for my art or the stories it tells. But I always welcome different perspectives, kind critiques, and, most of all, disagreements. After all, our differences are what make us vibrant. My partner and I rarely agree on anything, and those conversations are the most meaningful for both of us.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. It means you’ve seen past the grumpiness to the heart that just wants to share what it sees.

Dankeschön,
Asaf-Yakir,
The Grumpy Bear  🐻  Der Grummelige Bär.