Y.Z. Kami was born in Tehran, Iran in 1956 and lives and works in New York. He studied philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley (1974-75) and the Sorbonne in Paris. His work has been widely exhibited at venues including the Parrish Museum of Art (2007), the Museum of Modern Art (2006), the Istanbul Biennial (2005) , and Deitch Projects (2001, 1999, 1998). Most recently, his work was featured in “Think With the Senses, Feel With the Mind” curated by Robert Storr at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007.

“The flux between matter and spirit, life and mortality, the outer layer and the inner soul lies at the core of Kami’s oeuvre. Kami binds his study of Sufi poetry and philosophy to the traditions of figure painting, portraiture and collage. His works reflect a diverse range of interests, from portraiture to Islamic architecture, from photography to sacred and literary texts.”

Opening reception for the artist: Tuesday, January 8th, 6 – 8 pm

-GL