Boaz Vaadia: Born in israel: November 13, 1951 Resides: New York, New York, U.S.A. Education: Brooklyn Museum Art School, Brooklyn, NY, 1976-77 Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, 1975-76 Avni Institute of Fine Arts, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 1967-71

"My work is based on the concept that man functions according to the same laws as all other creatures of nature. Therefore, the urban environment is not an artificial creation but a natural habitat that man has created for himself.

 The materials I use in my sculptures: slate, shingle, bluestone and boulders, are from the immediate area surrounding my studio in New York City. The slate roof shingles and bluestones are sedimentary rocks which were formed by layers of sediment compressing over millions of years. Slate and bluestone are used throughout the city for roofing and building and also used in sidewalks, backyards, and for landscaping. Brought to the area by glacier movement during the ice age, the boulders in my latest work came from building sites in Brooklyn.

 My sculptures are executed by handcarving each individual layer and stacking it up until the piece is completed. Although at this point the piece will stand up by itself, I bolt it together with threaded rods and glue for permanence and safety.

 The connection of man to earth and nature is vital to my art. By using the natural forces of rocks, my work awakens ancient "earth senses" that were slowly abandoned by man during his evolution to civilization. One way I make the connection of man to earth is by using the natural layers of sedimentary rock. By carving the stone, I release its inherent energies. This stone sculpture now carries a direct message to the soul of the viewer. Man came from the earth and in death returns to it. I see stone as the bone structure of the earth."

- Boaz Vaadia


SELECT COLLECTIONS: Boaz Vaadia:

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY. Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA  Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum, Japan  Hakone Open Air Museum, Japan  Norton Gallery of Art, W. Palm Beach, Florida Tel-Aviv Museum, Israel Jewish Museum, New York, NY The Israel Museum, Israel Open Museum at Tefen, Israel  Cliff Lede Vineyards, Napa Valley CA Paine Webber Inc., Puerto Rico  Mazda Great Lakes, MI Elton John, Atlanta, Georgia Best Products Inc., VA  Cargill Inc., MN La Salle Partners, Rosslyn, VA  The Related Companies, Carnegie Park Building, N Y  Lufthansa Airlines NY  Susan & Dixon Butler, Washington, D.C. Richard Brown Baker, NY Ashley & Harriet Hoffman, New York, Palm Beach  Grace Hokin, Florida  Mr. & Mrs. Johnson, Wisconsin  Cargill Macmillan, Palm Springs California  Herb Goldsmith, Fla. Leanne Hull, Canada  Dr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Kahn, NY  The Manney Collection, NY Martin Z. Margulies, Fl. Eric P. Meyer, Switzerland Edward J. Minskoff, NY   Dr. & Mrs. Sackler, Conn. Barry Sacks, Bel Air, California (Chorus Line, Inc.   Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Tuttleman, Penn.  Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Zimmerman, TN