Artist Bio
Yoram Shalmon is a mixed-media Pop-art artist who divides his time between Toronto, Canada, and West Palm Beach, Florida. His passion for visual arts began early with a love for drawing and painting. Alongside his artistic journey, he built a successful career as a high-tech engineer, embracing the creativity his profession allowed.
Beyond art, sports have played a significant role in Yoram’s life. Tennis was his game of choice for years, but in 2022—following the COVID pandemic—he discovered pickleball and quickly became an avid player. This new passion began to shape his artistic focus, challenging his creative energy. Initially inspired by pickleball themes, his work soon evolved into an exploration of pickleball materials, repurposing balls and paddles to express cultural commentary.
Currently, Yoram is immersed in several Pickleball Art projects, pushing artistic boundaries in unexpected and dynamic ways. He looks forward to the continued evolution of global pickleball culture.
For many years, Yoram worked with traditional mediums, from paint on canvas to pencil on paper. His artistic style has spanned figurative, impressionist, expressionist, and abstract works, influenced at times by the New York Expressionists of the 1950s and 1960s. Examples of his earlier works are included on this site. Yoram accepts commission work.
Artist Statement
My current work examines contemporary culture and events through the use of reclaimed pickleball gear, highlighting both the sport's expanding global significance and its artistic potential. As an avid tennis player, I discovered pickleball in Florida several years ago, and it quickly captured my interest.
My artistic and creative exploration centers on the cultural phenomenon surrounding pickleball and its profound social impact—the way it fosters community, movement, and connection. There’s something inherently magnetic about the sport; it draws people in, inspiring them to play and engage, ultimately enhancing their quality of life. Enthusiasts become hooked on the thrill of the game, which transcends boundaries of age, skill level, gender, mobility, fitness, and financial means. Its benefits are particularly evident among senior citizens, as it promotes both physical activity and social interaction.
This body of work integrates pickleball as both material and subject, incorporating pop-art influences. Using reclaimed gear, I deconstruct and reimagine these elements into dynamic 3D pieces and assemblages. Through repurposing pickleballs as an artistic medium, my work playfully explores themes of transformation, connection, and reinvention, inviting viewers to reconsider the material in unexpected ways.