Known for his many unique works of art in Israel and around the world, sculptor Dani Karavan passed away last Saturday at his home in Israel. Born in Tel Aviv in 1930, one of his most notable pieces is the stone wall at the Knesset, designed as an abstract art titled ‘Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.’ In Israel, Karavan also designed Habima Square, the Memorial to the Negev Brigade in Beer Sheba, as well as ‘Ohel’ in Sheba Medical Center, and the ‘White City’ in Wolfson Park.
Karavan, who felt the effects of the Holocaust as many of his parents’ family members perished, was often commissioned to create memorials, and make his mark spreading Jewish values through his work in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, and many more.
He has been awarded the Israel Prize in 1977, the Nobel Prize for the Arts in Japan in 1998, and the Goethe Medal in Germany in 1999. UNESCO declared Karavan the first Artist of Peace in 1996.
Karavan’s works around the world remain an everlasting symbol of hope, peace, and memory. He spent time living in both Tel Aviv and Paris and is survived by his wife, three daughters, and two grandchildren.
