Additional photos are below, including photos of the installation. 

Created by artist Nicole Beck, “Fiat Lux” sits atop a berm in Sycamore Park, erected to honor the life of Karim Abou Najm. The piece is made of stainless steel and colored dichroic glass. The colors in the piece reflect light and change color depending on the viewer’s position and ambient lighting conditions. The glass design creates a replica of the constellation of the Phoenix, with Karim’s likeness appearing as the dominant star Aanka. The artwork embodies the qualities that made Karim an exceptional human and the kindness, innovation, creativity and warmth within the Davis community. The phrases FIAT LUX (Latin for: Into the Light) and FREE SPIRIT adorn the front of the artwork, and are meant both as reference to Karim's "free spirit" and as aspirational/inspirational phrases for the community at large. 

The plaque shares Karim’s own words, and embodies his loving spirit:

“You have a brilliant fire with which you can forge the world into your image, a heat that keeps the world shimmering, ready to reflect your beauty in whatever moment you turn your head to see it. You also have a voice, a soul, that makes the universe want to give what you want. Your world will always reflect you, a beautiful and powerful being forever coming into herself.  But if that doesn’t feel like enough, remember that others can see that image too. They send reflections back, echoes and reverberations that, if you listen closely, call your name.” 

The installation of “Fiat Lux” was made possible by donations from Karim’s family, friends and Davis residents, a donation from the University of California, Davis and funds from the City of Davis Municipal Arts Fund. Thank you to J. Walt Construction that installed the foundation and to Dana Benson for the stone masonry work. 

The new art was unveiled to the public on November 22, 2024, in memory of Karim Abou Najm, who lost his life on April 29, 2023, when he was stabbed in Sycamore Park, while biking home. Karim graduated from Davis Senior High School in 2020 and was awarded a bachelor’s degree in computer science posthumously from UC Davis in 2023.

• More about artist Nicole Beck
• More about Karim Abou Najm

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