A Sculptor’s Tribute

Photo by Gary Moss, 805 Living Magazine.

Before creating his full-size sculptures in tribute to the victims of last year’s mass
shooting at Thousand Oaks’ Borderline Bar & Grill, Ali Alinejad perfected his
designs with these miniature prototypes. Photo by Gary Moss, 805 Living Magazine.

The grieving process continues for the 12 people who lost their lives in the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks on November 7, 2018.

“There was so much emotion and so much grief in this community after this happened, people didn’t have a place to go,” says Thousand Oaks–based sculptor Ali Alinejad. “Creating that place is what inspired me,” he says of the ceramic memorials he sculpted to honor each of the victims.

With the support of the community, Alinejad built an 8- to 12-foot totem for each victim, stacking the letters of their first names, which he sculpted from clay, and inscribing special memories on the back. The colorful, joyful sculptures are currently displayed throughout Alinejad’s neighborhood, which is also home to his business, Clay Studio + Gallery (claystudioandgallery.com). He hopes to find a permanent home for the sculptures and to create a memorial with benches that can be used as a site for contemplation.

For more information, visit the project’s GoFundMe page: gofundme.com/f/sculpure-memorial-for-the-12-victims-at-borderline.      —Leslie Dinaberg

805 Living Magazine, November 2019.

805 Living Magazine, November 2019.

Click here to read this story as it appeared in 805 Living magazine, November 2019 805 Living Magazine November 2019.