Naftali Bezem was born in 1924 in Essen, Germany.

He immigrated to Israel at the age of fourteen, before the outbreak of World War II.

Bezem was a member of the vibrant generation that built the state of Israel. His early adolescence was spent under Nazi oppression, in refugee camps and in constant fear for the safety of his parents, who died in Auschwitz. This personal history largely shaped his artistic style and work. Bezem views art as an expression of the soul of people, its heritage, and its truth. He has won several prestigious prizes, has been shown internationally in group and solo exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale and the Sao Paulo Biennale. He taught at Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem.