Idel Ianchelevici (Yankelevich) was a world-renowned sculptor and graphic artist who became a key figure in 20th-century European expressionism. Born in Chisinau, his path was unconventional: he initially moved to Liège, Belgium, to study medicine, but after serving in the Romanian army, he followed his true calling at the Liège Academy of Fine Arts. His talent was immediate, earning him the first prize for sculpture in 1933.
In the pre-war years, Ianchelevici gained acclaim for his bronze works, including the famous "Diver," created for the 1939 International Exhibition in Liège. His career took a decisive turn when he gained the patronage of Louis Piérard, leading to the creation of "The Call" (1939)—a monumental sculpture in La Louvière that was hidden during the Nazi occupation and reinstalled in 1945, becoming an enduring landmark of the city.
The horrors of World War II deeply influenced his work. In the post-war years, Ianchelevici shifted his focus toward stone and marble, leaning into a powerful expressionist style. He was commissioned to create the National Monument to Political Prisoners at a former transit camp near Antwerp. His legacy as a monumentalist continued across continents, from the memorial complex to Galician Jewry in Haifa to large-scale projects in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) in the Belgian Congo.
Ianchelevici’s versatility extended to graphic arts and medal design. He designed several national orders for Belgium and commemorative medals for Israel, including those honoring the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. In his later years, living in Maisons-Laffitte near Paris, he designed postage stamps for both Belgium and Romania, further bridging the cultural history of his two homelands.
Today, the legacy of Idel Ianchelevici is preserved by three dedicated museums: in Maisons-Laffitte (France), La Louvière (Belgium), and Goudriaan (Netherlands). Every three years, the Ianchelevici Prize is awarded to honor excellence in monumental urban sculpture, ensuring that his spirit of humanist and structural innovation continues to inspire new generations of artists.
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