Michael Liani is a Tel Aviv-based multimedia artist who explores ideas of identity, and visibility. Drawn to people, moments, and connections that exist outside the mainstream, he creates art that challenges the perceptions and reality of the peripheral and the central. His work is both deeply personal and universal, and the humanity of his subjects is always foregrounded.
Liani’s work has been acclaimed at home and abroad. He holds a masters degree in photographic arts from Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, and he has been the recipient of the Yitzhak Navon Prize for the Cultivation of Israeli Cultures Prize from the Israeli Ministry of Culture and Sport, and The America-Israel Cultural Foundation honors award, among other accolades.
Liani talks to As Promised about his art, including his defining @lgbtqlove_project, a photography project on LGBTQ+ families from across Israel, which was recently published as a book.
Tell us about yourself and where you draw inspiration?
I grew up in Migdal HaEmek in a Moroccan family, and the experience of living in the periphery, alongside my journey in the art and media worlds, deeply shapes the themes I engage with. I have always been drawn to the tension between the periphery and the mainstream, believing that the real conversation happens in the space where they meet. I have always been fascinated by people. I draw inspiration from the gap between reality and the way it is visually represented—what truly happens in real life versus how it is portrayed in the media and on social networks. This disconnect reveals how society shapes identities and how images can construct or distort perceptions.
What attracted you to the medium of photographic art?
Over time, I realized that photography is not just about documentation—it is also a tool for social correction. Too often, stories go untold, and images create a one-dimensional reality. Through my lens, I strive to illuminate what remains unseen. Beyond that, I find inspiration in the places I come from and the environments I navigate—my roots, the people around me, and the way culture and media shape our collective consciousness.
Your LGBTQIA+ Love series is a process of documenting LGBTQIA+ couples in Israel. When did you first conceive the idea for the project?
This project was born during the first COVID-19 lockdown. The world was shifting in unpredictable ways, and Pride events were pushed aside. In a time of isolation and disconnection, I felt that the one thing I could do was photograph—to provide visibility and celebrate love, creating a quiet yet powerful Pride march through imagery.
At first, many people were hesitant to participate, fearing exposure. But after the first few images were published and gained significant attention, everything changed. More and more people started reaching out to be part of the project, and it kept growing. Today, I see it as a historical document, a proud Israeli gem, that continues to shape the way our society perceives the LGBTQ+ community and love in general.
What strikes the viewer immediately is that the subjects in the series look directly at the camera, though with varying degrees of confidence.
The decision [to have subjects look directly at the camera] was not just an aesthetic choice—it was a statement of presence, recognition, and visibility. A direct gaze creates an intimate connection with the viewer, inviting them to engage with the person in front of them without barriers or filters. It disrupts the dynamic where the viewer merely observes from a distance, instead, creating a situation where the image “looks back” — establishing a sense of equality between subject and observer.
The project became an Instagram hit and last year you published the series as a book. Was that the culmination of the LGBTQ+ Love series?
Even though the book is out, the project itself is far from over — I continue photographing, understanding that the depth and beauty of these stories are limitless.
Tell us about some of the other projects you are currently working on?
[In addition to working as an] artistic consultant, and photographer, [I’m] a director for musicians and artists. For the past three years, I’ve collaborated with Riff Cohen, and I have also written several songs for her, such as Shalem Alay and Bye Dubai, which became major hits in Israel and the Arab world. It is exciting to take my artistic practice and channel it into another medium — music, rhythm, and words. And working with Riff is a privilege, she is a fearless, genre-defying artist who constantly pushes creative boundaries. Additionally, I am working on a documentary film, a project that is deeply personal to me, allowing me to further explore the intersection between documentary cinema and visual aesthetics.
How do you see the role of art in society, particularly in the society you live in?
Art not only reflects reality but also shapes it, challenging existing perceptions, and opening conversations where words sometimes fall short. More than that, I see art as a powerful instrument for healing, both individually and collectively, with the capacity to bridge divides, spark empathy, and create spaces for transformation. There is so much in our world — and in Israel in particular — that needs to be healed.
Israel is a uniquely rich space for cultural encounters — there is no other place quite like it. Art here acts as a bridge between identities, and this diversity is an endless source of inspiration for me. The friction between old and new, tradition and modernity, center and periphery — all of these create a dynamic space that fuels my creative process.
Within this complexity, I find myself re-examining Jewish discourse through this diversity, exploring how Jewish identity evolves within this cultural landscape, and how it can connect to the broader world and to art in a way that fosters an open, layered, and relevant dialogue.
Are there moments or times of the day when you feel your creativity is at its peak?
Over time, I have come to understand the conditions and environments that ignite my creativity. More often than not, my artistic process is a reaction — it responds to social realities, to moments that demand re-examination, or to instances where I feel something important has been left outside the frame.
Many times, my work comes from a desire to shed light on places where the light has faded, to give voice to silenced perspectives, and to question through visual storytelling.
