Beginning in 1985, Vaadia turned his efforts toward figurative motifs executed solely in stone.
Retained from previous efforts was the utilization of gravity as a force in maintaining stability.
For these body-based forms, his methodology entailed stacking gradated rock sheets in a formation suggestive of individual stones modified by chisel-marked surfaces.

Vaadia says, "It was quite an exciting moment for me when I realized that I actually could go back to figurative work and still have the respect for the way the bluestone and slate are formed in nature…" By chipping away unwanted rock, Vaadia took advantage of the way nature layers sediment.
Using traditional tools – hammer and chisel – he molded each single stone to suit the whole composition.
As a result, this work reflects sculptural techniques which parallel natural transformations in stone.
The artist's stratification of stones echoes natural conversions of matter.

This development within his work opened up a long period of great creative output and recognition.
Vaadia understood that his chosen materials limited what could be built with them, and by respecting the structural properties of bluestone slabs, he created an artistic restriction for himself: each one of his sculptures must be able to stand and to hold together bound only by the force of gravity (though ultimately bolted together for safety and permanency).
As a result, he has knowingly limited himself to stable, compact poses, and a generalized human form that alludes to Easter Island moai, Egyptian Pharonic sculpture, and Buddhist repose.

In the latter part of the eighties, Vaadia introduced second and third figures into his work.
Glenn Harper, editor of Sculpture Magazine, noted about these pieces, "The figures are indeed composed…within the groups, there is an emotional dynamic, but more of a bond than a conflict.
 And there is a profound sense of honoring ordinary people, rather than memorializing 'heroes,' in all the work."

In 1987, Boaz opened his practice to include limited editions of the stone sculptures cast in bronze, augmenting his capacity to explore new compositions through the relationships between multiple figures.
 In 1989 he bought a studio in Williamsburg (Brooklyn).
The streets there were also being torn up.
 When he saw ancient boulders being pulled out of the ground during sewer repairs near his Berry Street studio in 1989, he was determined to salvage them and subsequently incorporated them into his figural compositions.
For the last 30 years, he has expanded his exploration of the layered figure through scale, and through varied groupings based on family and on domesticated animals.
In 2002, Vaadia began to create portraiture, achieving a likeness through shape, form, and posture, while adhering to his signature style.
 In 2011, he developed a new way to make his sculpture visible to the viewer, photographing each successive layer of the sculpture Haza'el.
The result was forty-two seemingly abstract images, beginning with the bluestone base and ending with the capstone of the head.
 Vaadia's recent work on a series of bas-relief sculptures allowed him a new level of definition and feature detail because of the inherent architectural support of the incorporated wall.

In 2014, Keno Auctions reported that Vaadia:  
...incorporates material from the New York City environment, slate, shingle, bluestone and boulders, to create figural sculptures with universal features.
His materials, particularly the blue stone and slate formed from layers of compressed sediment, are carved to expose each stratified layer.
Relying on the weight of the stone, Vaadia's figures connect with nature to harness powers inherent in their materials.
Each sculpture evokes an existential meditation on the progress of civilization and our human relationship with the environment.
Vaadia's statement says, "Man came from the earth and in death returns to it.
I see stone as the bone structure of the earth."
Beginning in 1985, Vaadia turned his efforts toward figurative motifs executed solely in stone. Retained from previous efforts was the utilization of gravity as a force in maintaining stability. For these body-based forms, his methodology entailed stacking gradated rock sheets in a formation suggestive of individual stones modified by chisel-marked surfaces.
Vaadia says, "It was quite an exciting moment for me when I realized that I actually could go back to figurative work and still have the respect for the way the bluestone and slate are formed in nature…" By chipping away unwanted rock, Vaadia took advantage of the way nature layers sediment. Using traditional tools – hammer and chisel – he molded each single stone to suit the whole composition. As a result, this work reflects sculptural techniques which parallel natural transformations in stone. The artist's stratification of stones echoes natural conversions of matter.
This development within his work opened up a long period of great creative output and recognition. Vaadia understood that his chosen materials limited what could be built with them, and by respecting the structural properties of bluestone slabs, he created an artistic restriction for himself: each one of his sculptures must be able to stand and to hold together bound only by the force of gravity (though ultimately bolted together for safety and permanency). As a result, he has knowingly limited himself to stable, compact poses, and a generalized human form that alludes to Easter Island moai, Egyptian Pharonic sculpture, and Buddhist repose.
In the latter part of the eighties, Vaadia introduced second and third figures into his work. Glenn Harper, editor of Sculpture Magazine, noted about these pieces, "The figures are indeed composed…within the groups, there is an emotional dynamic, but more of a bond than a conflict.  And there is a profound sense of honoring ordinary people, rather than memorializing 'heroes,' in all the work."
In 1987, Boaz opened his practice to include limited editions of the stone sculptures cast in bronze, augmenting his capacity to explore new compositions through the relationships between multiple figures.  In 1989 he bought a studio in Williamsburg (Brooklyn). The streets there were also being torn up.  When he saw ancient boulders being pulled out of the ground during sewer repairs near his Berry Street studio in 1989, he was determined to salvage them and subsequently incorporated them into his figural compositions. For the last 30 years, he has expanded his exploration of the layered figure through scale, and through varied groupings based on family and on domesticated animals. In 2002, Vaadia began to create portraiture, achieving a likeness through shape, form, and posture, while adhering to his signature style.  In 2011, he developed a new way to make his sculpture visible to the viewer, photographing each successive layer of the sculpture Haza'el. The result was forty-two seemingly abstract images, beginning with the bluestone base and ending with the capstone of the head.  Vaadia's recent work on a series of bas-relief sculptures allowed him a new level of definition and feature detail because of the inherent architectural support of the incorporated wall.
In 2014, Keno Auctions reported that Vaadia:  
...incorporates material from the New York City environment, slate, shingle, bluestone and boulders, to create figural sculptures with universal features. His materials, particularly the blue stone and slate formed from layers of compressed sediment, are carved to expose each stratified layer. Relying on the weight of the stone, Vaadia's figures connect with nature to harness powers inherent in their materials. Each sculpture evokes an existential meditation on the progress of civilization and our human relationship with the environment. Vaadia's statement says, "Man came from the earth and in death returns to it. I see stone as the bone structure of the earth."
Boaz Vaadia