At 80: Sculptor Yael Artzi, designer of the Rabin memorial, has passed away

Israeli sculptor Yael Artzi, a member of Kibbutz Sdot Yam, has passed away at the age of 80. Artzi left behind a rich artistic legacy, and among all her works in Israel, the most famous is the memorial in memory of Yitzhak Rabin. The memorial, built of hewn basalt stones, is placed at the bottom of the stairs near the City Hall building at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, exactly at the site of the Prime Minister's assassination.

Artzi was born in 1946 and grew up in Morocco, where she began painting at a young age. Upon finishing high school, she won a scholarship to study at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. In 1966, Artzi immigrated to Israel and settled in Kibbutz Sdot Yam.

When she was 26, Artzi decided to realize her scholarship and traveled with her husband and two daughters for three years of study at the academy. During her time there, she was advised to study in the sculpture department, a decision that shaped her professional path. She graduated with honors and subsequently returned to her home in Sdot Yam.

Throughout her years of work, Artzi sculpted with a wide variety of materials, including stone, basalt, granite, metal, and wood. Her works crossed Israel's borders and gained international recognition, and today her sculptures can be found placed in various locations around the world, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Argentina, Spain, and Poland.

In Israel, too, Artzi left a significant mark, and her sculptures are scattered in many cities across the country. The studio where she created operated in Kibbutz Sdot Yam, and to this day, her sculptures decorate the grounds of the kibbutz where she lived and worked.