President Isaac Herzog on Sunday mourned the death of Yaacov Agam, the Israeli artist and Israel Prize laureate, who died at age 98. In a public statement, Herzog called him one of Israel’s greatest artists and one of the country’s most respected and internationally recognized creators.
Herzog said Agam “broke boundaries” and created a distinctive artistic language built around movement, change and renewal. He noted that Agam’s works entered major museums and collections around the world, as well as the presidential residence in Jerusalem, and said they inspired generations of artists and creators.
The president added that he knew Agam from childhood and had met him many times. “Each meeting with him revealed the passion, curiosity and endless creativity that characterized him throughout his life,” Herzog said, adding that Agam’s artistic and human legacy would continue to accompany Israeli culture and art lovers in Israel and abroad for many years. Herzog ended with, “May his memory be blessed.”