Internationally recognized sculptor and painter Vadim Bora leaves behind a legacy of masterful art, strength in community, and arts leadership in both his adopted American home of Asheville, North Carolina, and his hometown of Vladikavkaz, Russia.His work continues to carry the imprint of his ethnic Ossetian heritage of the Caucasus Mountains, mixed with the vitality and independence of the New World. Born in Beslan, Russia, in the Republic of North Ossetia, April 9, 1954, Vadim Bora was an artist whose styles and media know no bounds. From oil landscapes, portraits, and allegorical narratives to emotive pen and ink line drawings, from fine silver engraving to monumental sculptures, Vadim's art reflects the multidimensionality of the artist, the person. He imbued even his simple subjects with studied, philosophical meaning.Vadim attended the Art Lycee and College of Art of Vladikavaz, as well as the acclaimed St. Petersburg Academy of Art and became a young member of the Artists Union of Russia. He arrived in Asheville in 1993, later awarded permanent residency by the US government under the coveted status of "Person with Extraordinary Abilities." (And in 2009 he elected to become a naturalized American Citizen.) In 1998 he opened Vadim Bora Gallery & Studio in downtown Asheville, fostering others artists' careers by hosting local and international artist's exhibitions, some from as far afoot as Mongolia, Russia, Georgia, Bosnia, Cuba, and Italy. Museums retaining Vadim Bora's paintings and sculptures in their permanent collections are: the Ministry of Culture Collection, Moscow, Russia; North Ossetia Museum of Art, Vladikavkaz, Russia; the Spartanburg Museum of Art, Spartanburg, SC; the Anderson Arts Center, Anderson, SC; and the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University. Corporate collections include: the BBC, London, England; The Financial Times, London, England. Other public and private commissions by the artist are located in: Charlotte, NC; Moscow, Russia; Berlin, Germany; Amsterdam, Holland; St. Louis, MO; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Fort Wayne, IN; Indianapolis, IN; Atlanta, GA; Denver, CO; and Washington, D.C. His public works of art grace the streets, museums and institutions of Asheville, Fort Wayne, Kansas City, Atlanta, and Vladikavkaz, Russia.Vadim's last commission was the life-size bronze of "Cornelia and Cedric" on the famed Biltmore Estate, dedicated in September of 2010. "Cat Walk" on the Asheville Urban Trail, the veteran's memorial sculpture "The Wings of Freedom" at the Asheville VA Medical Center, a crucifix at St. Mary's Episcopal Parish, and a ten-piece sculpture grouping “On the Mend” at Mission Children's Hospital showcase Vadim's public artworks in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In the end, life is quite short. What you leave behind is your legacy, and for an artist -- that is his soul poured onto canvas, sculpted into clay and stone. ~ Vadim Bora