A new artwork honoring a UC Davis student who was killed in a park during a series of stabbings last year will be unveiled next month, the city of Davis said Wednesday.
Karim Abou Najm, 20, was home from college when he was stabbed multiple times in Sycamore Park on April 29, 2023, just weeks away from graduation. The computer science major — and aspiring software engineer — was the latest victim to be injured after another man was killed and a woman seriously injured.
A structure of stainless steel and colored dichroic glass, created by Illinois-based artist Nicole Beck, watches over the spot where Abou Najm breathed his last. Light reflected from the piece changes color depending on the viewer’s position and the sunlight, the city said in a news release.
It’s called ‘Fiat Lux’, which in Latin translates to ‘Let there be light’.
“The artwork embodies the qualities that made Karim an exceptional human being and the kindness, innovation, creativity and warmth within the Davis community,” the release said.
Beck shared images of the art on social media earlier this month.
The City of Davis will unveil the completed artwork on November 22 at Sycamore Park, 1313 Sycamore Lane.
If rain falls that day, residents are asked to attend the ceremony in a multipurpose room at Robert E. Willett Elementary School, 1207 Sycamore Lane.
City officials renamed a bike path that winds through Sycamore Park and unveiled a bench bearing his name on the anniversary of Abou Najm’s death earlier this year.
The day before Abou Najm died, David Breaux was stabbed to death on a corner in downtown Davis, where he often stood and asked residents their definition of the word “compassion.”
Kimberlee Guillory, the third and final victim, was stabbed while sleeping in her tent on May 1, 2023. She survived her injuries.
A former UC Davis student, Carlos Reales Dominguez, was arrested in connection with the three stabbings and has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in Yolo Superior Court. His trial is scheduled for April.
