Deputy Commander Vadim Blich, born to a family of immigrants from Ukraine, grew up in Haifa. He served as a combat soldier in the Border Police and in a special unit of the Israel Police, where he distinguished himself as a beloved and respected commander. He founded the “Cobra” company. He was a loving father and husband to Ortal and their three children. On the morning of the October 7, 2023 attack, he went out to defend Kibbutz Be’eri. Even after being wounded, he continued to fight, until he fell in battle. He was 39 years old.
The artwork was born from a meeting with Nona, Vadim’s mother, for whom he was her only child. She handed me a piece of metal from the Jeep Caracal in which her son rode on the day he fell. Everyone spoke of his generous heart and his boundless giving, and so a heart was created, made of clay, pierced by that very shard of metal.
The statue was created for the 120th anniversary of Kfar Saba (2023). The Half-Orange with “Houses” sculpture contrasts organic form with urban architecture, reflecting cycles of growth and transformation, from agrarian roots to metropolitan life. It is permanently displayed in the archaeological-historical museum in Kfar Saba.
