THE ARTIST
Simi Dabah
The story behind the steel, in four short chapters.
01 The Welder · 02 The Material · 03 The Desert · 04 The Legacy
01
The Welder
A hobby that became a life’s work
In the 1960s, Simi taught himself to weld in his Los Angeles backyard, lifting scrap into place with an overhead crane.
Over more than fifty years, that hobby grew into more than 2,000 sculptures.
02
The Material
Nothing here started new
Every piece began as industrial scrap. Reusing it was kinder to the environment, and the forms are abstract, open to whatever the viewer brings.
They range from tabletop size to more than 20 feet tall.
03
The Desert
Left to the weather
The work traveled to Joshua Tree in a 16-foot trailer hitched to a 1968 Cadillac. More than 350 sculptures stand there now.
Most are left to rust to a warm patina, so every visit looks a little different.
04
The Legacy
Art that keeps giving
In 2015, Simi and Julie Dabah founded the Foundation to place his sculptures in public spaces.
Pieces are donated to public and nonprofit organizations, or purchased. Together that has meant $250K for local nonprofits.
CONTINUE THE STORY
Where to next?
Next · Installations
See the work in the world
The parks, campuses and public spaces where Simi’s sculptures now live.
Donation Program
Bring a sculpture home
How a public or nonprofit organization can request a piece.