Itai Hazan

I was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, then emigrated to the United States, and grew up mostly in Southern California. For as far back as I can remember, I have been drawing, designing, and creating things, and have always had a strong connection to nature, most specifically stone, and water. I have always been mesmerized by nature’s rock formations, cliff faces, and even better when there’s water flowing through, or over them. I love the mix of raw, natural stone, and clean, modern lines, shapes, and angles. I design sculptures that I enjoy looking at, that remind me of those raw, rock faces seen in nature, and the lines and angles of modern architecture, another passion of mine. I want them to be grounding and real, but also something that sparks people’s imagination. In a world filled with plastic, factory-made, or molded products, I want to bring raw, real nature back into the home or office. It just feels better, and real. This is real.

I discovered Zimbabwe in 1998, when I was volunteering with an anti-poaching unit for 4 months on a private black rhino conservancy. I immediately felt a connection with the stone sculptures that I encountered there, and began learning about this art form, which only emerged in the late 50’s and 60’s. Over time, I learned more and more, and enjoyed the adventure of seeking out the best artists and quality work, ending me up in some very "interesting" places. Since then, I have forged many great relationships with my favorite artists, and due to all the years working with them, I have learned who would be best to work with on my own designs, both in terms of skills, and personality. I spend approximately three months of the year working in Zimbabwe, both on my own designs, collaborative designs, and searching out beautiful works from other artists.