July 1, 2012, Updated September 28, 2012

“My favorite [thing] is to find things and make something out of them, and I think this is my biggest success,” says Ilana Goor, an internationally renowned artist whose eponymous museum sits on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the old city of Jaffa.

Originally constructed in 1740 as the first Jewish hostel for pilgrims to the Holy Land, Goor moved into the house in 1995. Today, the Ilana Goor Museum houses the artist herself as well as more than 300 pieces of her sculptures, jewelry and furniture — plus her eclectic, ever-changing collection of art from Israel and elsewhere.

The museum has been called an artistic jungle because of the mix of styles on display, but Goor calls it her “university.”

“I learned so much – about good, about bad, about proportion, about designing – and I love it!” exclaims Goor.

The museum features an ever-changing collection of art.
The museum features an ever-changing collection of art.

Music by Ran Bagno