Salomon Kadoche, 67, of Monroe, garners national art award.
By: Candice Leigh Helfand
MONROE A local artist’s stroke of genius has earned him international acclaim.
Salomon Kadoche, 67, of Greenbriar at Whittingham, has won the Newington Award for Best Painting in Show from the American Artists Professional League, a national organization based in New York dedicated to recognizing the best visual artists. This year’s awards mark the 78th annual Grand National Exhibition, according to a press release sent by the AAPL.
An awards ceremony was held in New York in November..
The Newington Award was given to his pastel portrait entitled "Mike," whom Mr. Kadoche described as an 88-year-old fellow artist. Currently, the painting is being held in Mr. Kadoche’s home.
"For the past three years, I have been given the top prize in my category pastels but this year I won best in show from all categories," Mr. Kadoche said. Along with the prestige the Newington Award offers, Mr. Kadoche received $1,000.
Mr. Kadoche said that there were entries from more than 30 states, Europe, Russia and China.
He said he is honored to receive this award.
"This is the best of the best," he said.
Mr. Kadoche’s success can be attributed to a lifetime of hard work and study.
"I’ve been painting since I was 14, and I’m 67 now," he said.
Mr. Kadoche was born and raised on Casablanca, Morocco, where he began his art studies with a French painter.
In 1963, he moved to Israel. He worked on a ship as a steward, and served in the Israeli army as a paratrooper. It was then that he met his wife, Bernice, and immigrated to the United States.
Mr. Kadoche studied at the Visual Arts Academy in Manhattan for six years and later graduated from Hunter College. He was a member of the Artist’s League for eight years. Mr. Kadoche said that he completed all of his studies at night while working in advertising art during the day, struggling to keep on top.
After that, he continued working in commercial art, and studied privately with a Chinese painter for 15 years, learning more about pastel painting.
He and his wife first lived in Manhattan, then Queens, before moving to New Jersey and eventually settling in Monroe.
Mr. Kadoche has competed in art shows for the past 15 years or so. He says he waited because he believes an artist must perfect his craft before subjecting it to scrutiny.
"You have to be so good before you enter competitions," he said.
But awards are not Mr. Kadoche’s motivation it’s the passion for his craft that keeps him going.
"You just fall in love with art, that’s all," he said. "I saw a painting, and said to myself, ‘Oh my God, this is what I want to do.’"

