Oil on Canvas, 100 x 100 cm / 39.4 x 39.4 in
Created by Ofir Hirsh under the Abu Lavie identity in 2013
Nothing in life compares to the wonder of becoming a parent. It was the single most empowering, inspiring and gratifying event that I experienced as a human being.
In July 2013 my girlfriend and I became parents to an amazing baby boy. We immediately fell in love with him and became the two most devoted fans of our little hero. It felt like the happiness meter jumped to new highs. Feelings of gratitude were the most emphasized, and obviously a deep sense of responsibility came along. A new chapter of our life began, and it would be fairly accurate to describe it as a sweeter and a more demanding one.
Because of the challenging period we and our baby went through when he was still in the womb, we wanted to strengthen him with a powerful name. So, we named him Lavie. A Lion in Hebrew and the life itself in French.
Being raised in Israel, I was always exposed to the Arabic culture, where a man is named after his elder son. I adopted the Arab tradition and named myself Abu Lavie.
Following the birth of Lavie, I entered the enchanted babies universe, and spent most of my time either taking care of him or just staring at him. I was hypnotized by this tiny creature that was mine and couldn’t take my eyes off him. I used to gaze at him when he was sleeping and often wondered what he could possibly dream about.
