The artist and writer Alex Ashendorf has kept most of his paintings in the basement of his home in Staten Island. Most of those works have only been seen by close friends and family, but this Saturday, Ashendorf’s work will be on display at Fuchs Projects, in a show that’s hosted by his son Elan, of local “Bushwick Bachelor” fame. Notably, his father will not only be celebrating his first gallery show, but also his 70th birthday.

Ashendorf immigrated to New York in 1984 from Israel, though he was originally born in France and spent some time in Argentina as well. Though he’s worked in construction by trade, art has always been a large part of Ashendorf’s life; from painting to writing and even composing music, Ashendorf says his art is “just something I had to do because I had no choice, it just came out of me.” After retiring eight years ago, he started devoting more time to his writing and his art, publishing several self-published books, and adding to his expansive, personal gallery.

His paintings have been described as emotionally charged, but Ashendorf doesn’t like to hold himself to one particular style; “Some are realistic, some are surreal, some are abstract,” he told me. “The reason for that is I start with an idea I want to express. I always try to tell a story.”