150 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2019
AARRTT
DESTINED FOR ART
Adi BenDov (iDEA)
By Aaron R. Fodiman
ART
This painting,
The Beginning
of Creation, was
Adi’s first new
work after a
20-year hiatus.
Adi BenDov (who is
known as iDEA)
was born in Israel
53 years ago
during one of the country’s
tense periods, shortly
before the famous Six-Day
War broke out in 1967. By
the time he was 3, Adi had
captured the attention of
art experts, who dubbed
him a prodigy because of
his free hand painting of
a giraffe. He constantly
created artwork during his
childhood, becoming the
director of a local design
studio while he was still
in high school. He grew
up to become a creative
artist, sculptor and painter
who combines metal, stone,
concrete, glass and other
elements in his works of art.